A music city in Geneva
Having completed the first stage of the project, namely the acquisition of the Feuillantines plots, the Fondation pour la Cité de la Musique launched an international architectural competition.
The Jury is chaired by French architect Dominique Perrault. Cantonal and municipal authorities are fully represented, as are the music community. Acoustic experts, engineers and construction specialists will assist the jury in its work.
The initiators of the project invited 18 architectural firms to compete, including firms from Geneva, French- and German-speaking Switzerland, Europe, the Far East and the USA. All these renowned architects responded positively to the invitation.
Competitors must submit their projects anonymously in August 2017. After a technical examination of the projects by experts, the jury will meet and deliver its verdict in autumn 2017.
Private financing
The building will house the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (OSR) and the Haute école de musique de Genève (HEM). At its heart will be a 1,750-seat concert hall, a chamber music hall, a small opera hall, a black box and a rehearsal hall for symphony orchestras.
Estimated at CHF 250 million, the project will be financed entirely by private funds. The Board of the FCMG already has the support of its main sponsor, who has agreed to cover more than 80 % of the cost of the operation, and will now endeavour to solicit other sponsors to complete the financing. It should be noted that the public authorities will not be paying a single cent for this construction.
Construction is due to start in January 2020, and the Cité de la Musique is scheduled to open in December 2022.
Find out more: www.citedelamusique.ch
