New Geneva buildings on the horizon

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The canton of Geneva and Swiss federal authorities recently approved huge loans towards renovating and improving the UN Palais des Nations. The UN’s historic but crumbling European headquarters, built in the 1930s, is set to be renovated at a cost of CHF836.5 million ($846.6 million) – half financed by interest-free loans from the Confederation (CHF292 million) and canton Geneva (CHF108 million). A new building that blends into the undulating landscape will also be added to the northeast of the complex to add 700 staff, mainly from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva [Palais des Nations currently accommodates 2,800]. Work will run from 2017 to 2023. UNOG

North of the UN, renovation work is also due to start next year on the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters. A nine-storey office block will replace an ageing prefabricated wing in a style that mirrors the original sixties design of Swiss architect Jean Tschumi. The three-year renovation work, costing CHF140 million, will mostly be covered by Bern (CHF76.4 million) and Geneva (CHF29.6 million). WHO

Other health-related organisations will also be accommodated in new digs. Construction has started on ‘Campus Santé’, a new building housing 1,500 staff from the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria and GAVI, a global vaccine alliance. It is hoped that synergies will be created with WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) nearby. Credit Suisse/Implenia

Another old building getting a new look (budget: CHF300 million) is the imposing 11-storey International Labour Organization (ILO) headquarters, home to 1,400 staff. The concrete monolith built between 1969-1974 is getting a facelift. Asbestos is being removed and the interiors are being remodeled. The Confederation is loaning CHF70 million and canton Geneva has donated land. To help fund the operation, the ILO has also sold land it owns close to the building – one 7,000m2 plot to Saudi Arabia to build luxury flats and another for Graduate Institute student lodgings. Simon Bradley/swissinfo.ch

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The international district in Geneva is undergoing huge changes as part of the long-term “Jardin des Nations” cantonal development project.

In all, over CHF2 billion ($2 billion) is being invested in new buildings and major renovations, as well as local transport. A considerable chunk of the finance consists of federal and cantonal loans. 

Here are a selection of some of the new buildings sprouting up in the next few years.