LONAY Lonay (Suisse) - 2017

Contexte & enjeux

Lonay, a Swiss municipality in the Canton of Vaud, is located along the RC80, a major road linking Lausanne to Geneva. It is bounded to the south by the A1 motorway and to the north by the town and more recent residential areas.

The test study aims to define the guidelines for the development and densification of the southern part of the commune, taking into account the orientations already planned for the territory (Requalification of the RC80, orientation scheme, etc.).

This study also had to integrate a particular context: a direct proximity to the town, existing activities, a waterway to be developed, and the requalification of the RC 80.

The close proximity of the study area to the motorway led us to imagine a way of dealing with it, rather than turning our backs on it. A strong gesture was proposed in the form of a “glass kilometre” whose role was to structure the relationship with the road infrastructure. This made it possible to exploit its surroundings while protecting itself from it.

This architecture with a mega-structural concept responded to the great landscape with a singular materiality and form that echoed the numerous neighbouring greenhouses.

Moreover, it made it possible to integrate the existing buildings in order to unify them and requalify their façades.

The idea was also to question a form of density, with a variety of possible programmes and uses. Beyond the “aesthetic” aspect, this concept finally allowed to give a new visibility to the town, on a regional scale, by marking its presence along the structuring transport networks.