The plans for Geneva's City of Music project, which would have been located on the corner of the Place des Nations Square, opposite the European headquarters of the United Nations.
Fondation pour la Cité de la Musique de Genève
Voters on Sunday narrowly rejected plans to build a new concert hall complex in the heart of so-called International Geneva.
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In all, 50.86% of Geneva voters rejected the plans for the “Cité de la Musique” project. Opposition had come from a coalition of left and right-wing parties, heritage defenders and independent artists, who joined forces to launch a referendum against the project.
The initiative had divided the local artistic community. Critics had denounced what they saw as an over-the-top project funded by the private sector. Other were unhappy that trees would have been cut down and a historic villa would have been demolished to make way for the new building.
Plans for the music complex featured a stunning glass building housing three concert halls, including a 1,600-seater octagonal-shaped philharmonic hall. Classrooms, a library, a restaurant and public parks were also planned.
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Geneva’s City of Music complex starts to take shape
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The future “City of MusicExternal link” design is the result of a partnership between Gonçalo Byrne and Pierre-Alain Dupraz, architects from Lisbon and Geneva, respectively. The complex features a curved pointed roof and glass facades. It is expected to open in December 2022, and will house four concert halls, including a 1,700-seater octagonal-shaped philharmonic hall with the stage…
The total project, estimated at CHF300 million ($254 million), would have been financed entirely from private funds coming mainly from the Hans Wilsdorf foundation. The organisers had negotiated with the United Nations and the canton of Geneva, which owns the site next to the Place des Nations.
The building would have been home to the Orchestra de la Suisse Romande [Orchestra for French-speaking Switzerland] and the Geneva Music School Orchestra, which are currently scattered across the city.
Sunday’s vote is not completely binding, however, as the canton has the last word on local urban development.
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Geneva’s City of Music complex starts to take shape
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The future “City of MusicExternal link” design is the result of a partnership between Gonçalo Byrne and Pierre-Alain Dupraz, architects from Lisbon and Geneva, respectively. The complex features a curved pointed roof and glass facades. It is expected to open in December 2022, and will house four concert halls, including a 1,700-seater octagonal-shaped philharmonic hall with the stage…
This content was published on
Around 9,500 staff work for the United Nations family in Geneva, which is the largest concentration of UN personnel in the world. There are also 174 states represented by permanent diplomatic missions to the UN. Annually, Geneva is host to the largest number of international conferences and meetings – 2,700 – ahead of New York, welcoming…
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In Davos, a pianist recently performed in a glass enclosure which only one person could enter at a time to enjoy the music. Others could watch – but not hear – from outside. Perhaps the world’s smallest concert hall, this mini venue was a symbolic act against an ongoing trend where cities from London to Geneva…
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Hamburg’s spectacular new concert hall designed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron has finally opened its doors. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)
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In addition to the regular performances of the Zurich Opera, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the Zurich-based Tonhalle Orchestra, the Swiss music calendar boasts a number of high-profile summer events. Three major fixtures are the Lucerne and Verbier Festivals and the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, while smaller events include the Project Martha Argerich…
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