Rubix in Geneva: Planning the Future of an Industrial Park

Two years after its foundation stone was laid, Geneva’s Rubix complex reached a new stage on Sept. 1 with the delivery of Building A. The five-story building will accommodate Charmilles, formerly known as GF Machining Solutions.

Rubix is presented as part of the transformation of Zimeysa, the large industrial area covering Meyrin and Satigny. The project is intended to move the zone toward a model that is denser, more mixed, more sustainable and likely more attractive.

Mixing different uses within an industrial zone became a central urban-planning challenge during the project’s development. That concern shaped both the layout of the plans and the construction approach.

Architect Jean-Claude Portier said the design paid particular attention to modularity and to the ability of spaces to change over time. He made the remarks on the sidelines of the inauguration of Building A, held on Tuesday.

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The question of mixed use in an industrial zone was a central urban-planning challenge in the development of the project. This thinking was reflected both in the organization of the plans and in the construction approach, with particular attention paid to the modularity and the ability of the spaces to evolve over time.