Plainpalais Jonction, Geneva, Switzerland

La Jonction is a district of the city of Geneva (Switzerland), Plainpalais Jonction is one of the eight major districts of Geneva. Bordered by the Arve and the Rhône, it is linked to the Bâtie Acacias district by the Hans-Wilsdorf Bridge., Boulevard Georges-Favon, then Boulevard des Philosophes, separates it from the Eaux-Vives Cité district, while Boulevard de la Cluse marks its border with Champel. In this popular and lively district, the inhabitants and a wider public enjoy a rich offer of services, cultural places, leisure or relaxation.

The territory is surrounded by two rivers, the Rhône and the Arve, which meet at the tip of the district explicitly named “Jonction”. Water is thus proving to be a central element of the district, much of which in the past was only swamps., A seaside tradition dates back to the 19th century, with the construction of public baths on the small island of the Volunteers. If they have long since disappeared, the practice has continued on the banks of the Rhône de la Jonction, taken by storm by swimmers during the summer heat.

Plainpalais Jonction is a dynamic district full of restaurants, bars, cafes and stalls of all kinds. The theaters and cultural venues are numerous and participate in the entertainment district. Its specialized shops, its multiple university institutions as well as its proximity to the Hospital attract a public largely exceeding the only inhabitants of the district.,.. which does not prevent the latter from investing heavily in community life. and the neighborhood.,

Located at the confluence of the Rhône and the Arve (hence its name), it is one of the only two districts of Geneva (along with that of Plainpalais) to extend on the left bank of the Arve by the Acacias and Saint-Georges bridges., The part on the left bank is mainly occupied by the hill of Bois de la Bâtie, which is directly accessible by the pedestrian bridge of the same name.,

History
A suburb with a military vocation, then a market garden, Plainpalais became a place of relaxation in the 17th century, then gradually urbanized. The agricultural zone of La Jonction, for its part, became an industrial center in the 20th century.

For a long time, the land between the Rhône and the Arve was only a muddy delta. Only the gold miners go there to look for gold in the Arve. The story of the Plainpalais Jonction district is first and foremost that of a conquest of this river, which often overflowed. From the 13th century, efforts were made to contain the Arve to use the plain and the lands of the Jonction.

In 1531, faced with the Savoyard threat, the people of Geneva decided to raze all their suburbs to prevent the enemy from advancing under cover. The population squeezed inside the walls and the stones of the destroyed houses served to reinforce the ramparts. Plainpalais becomes a no man’s land strewn with ruins., In 1536, the Republic of Geneva was proclaimed. But Geneva remains a citadel and Plainpalais a wasteland, even after the peace treaty that follows the night of the Escalade.

Its rebirth, it is to the Duke of Rohan that the suburb owes it. During a stay in Geneva in 1637, the duke proposed to make the Plaine a promenade adorned with lime trees and abalones and to develop grounds for the play of the mall, then very fashionable. The plain becomes the living heart of Plainpalais, with its mall parts, military exercises and fairs. At the Junction, the land reclaimed from the water is used for agriculture.,

Following the control of the waters of the Arve, the territory of Plainpalais Jonction becomes suitable for agriculture. The Jonction peninsula thus takes the nickname “Garden of Geneva”., For the anecdote, we call the market gardeners “plantaporrêts”, a deformation of “leek planters”. Along boulevard Saint-Georges, certain streets recall this past: rue des Jardins, rue des Plantaporrêts, further on rue des Maraîchers. The rue de la Puiserande indicates a wheel which draws water thanks to a horse.

Towards Plainpalais, gardens and houses also appear between the Rhône and Arve, despite frequent floods from the latter. In the 17th century, it was mainly French refugees who cultivated these gardens and introduced Genevans to vegetables then unknown, such as purple artichokes or cardoon, which became a labeled Geneva specialty.

Before being caught at the end of 19th century by the growth of the city of Geneva and the urbanization of this, the junction is an area of market gardens between the Rhône and Arve, as still recall the names of certain streets in the district: rue des Jardins, rue de la Puiserande (named after a kind of noria used for irrigation and represented by a metal sculpture located between rue des Plantaporrêts and rue des Deux-Ponts), rue David-Dufour (name of a market gardener), rue des Plantaporrêts (literally meaning leek planters) where Lenin lived during his exile in Geneva (plaque on the building at No 3).

In the 19th century, the town of Plainpalais was still rural. Its main street, rue de Carouge, unpaved, is bordered only by small houses surrounded by gardens., But it is developing and urbanizing little by little. We are opening a school, shops, public services such as the hospital, cultural venues (Comedy, Casino-Theater, Diorama, etc.), or even universities with schools of chemistry and medicine.

Over the centuries, the Plaine de Plainpalais became a central place for popular celebrations. The one that already hosted part of the National Exhibition of 1896, is today the scene of the annual festivities of the National Day and has hosted the famous flea market since 1970.

As for the Faubourg de la Jonction, it remained rural until the beginning of the 20th century. From 1850, work made it possible to protect the land from flooding by raising them. The gardens are gradually giving way to businesses. The suburb became an industrial center, most of the factories of which have now been converted into cultural centers.

In the 20th century, the junction is an industrial area, with the gas plant (which explodesAugust 1909) and metallurgy companies: SIP – Société genevoise des instruments de physique (precision machine tools), Gardy (electrical components), Nationale (luxury mechanics, lighters), Kugler (valves) or SIG premises. All these businesses collapsed in the 1970s and 1980s, or left the neighborhood. The administration of the canton of Geneva has a few buildings there. The La Jonction depot, a historic Geneva public transport site, is also located there.

A vast rehabilitation project of a former GIS site, reappropriated by numerous associations under the name of Artamis (1996 – 2008) which establishes an alternative cultural space there, is carried by the Geneva authorities and resulted in the eco-district project ” Green Square “.

Since 1995, the self – managed cultural space of Artamis has also occupied the heart of the Jonction. In the early 2000s, the industrial past of the site, on which a gas plant was once located, reappeared: an inventory of polluted sites in the canton confirms the serious pollution of the area with cyanide and hydrocarbons, which threatens groundwater. While some cultural activities are relocated or disappear, need for space, the “Carré vert” sanitation project saw the light of day in 2008. It is now giving way to the construction of the Ecoquartier Jonction, which will consist of some 300 housing units, local shops, SMEs, associative and cultural premises as well as workshops.

During its history, the Jonction has housed many industrial buildings., Several of them have been transformed into theaters or concert halls, artist workshops or even discotheques., This is evidenced by the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMCO) at Les Bains, which is surrounded by numerous art galleries. At la Coulouvrenière, the alternative cultural center of the Factory faces the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices (BFM), which mainly offers classical music.

Institutions and companies
The Jonction district is home to several institutions. The TV tower occupied by the RTS was built there in 1969, where there are many public television studios (including the one at 7:30 p.m.) as well as those of the radio.

Close to it, there are buildings of the University of Geneva, including that of Uni Mail, which is one of the largest in terms of number of students, or that of Science 2.

It is also the domicile of the daily newspaper La Tribune de Genève, the cantonal tax administration or the offices of the CODHA.,

Attractions
Discover some of the many curiosities that make the charm of the Plainpalais Jonction district.

The Kings Cemetery
A popular place for strolling and strolling in Geneva, the Kings cemetery is today considered the local Pantheon. It houses the graves of personalities who played an important role in the city, as well as certain distinguished foreigners who died in Geneva. Are buried there in particular:
Jean Calvin, the reformer;
Rodolphe Töpffer, the inventor of the comic strip;
Jorge Luis Borges, writer of Argentine origin;
Emile Jacques-Dalcroze, famous musician and teacher;
Important political figures for Geneva such as Léon Nicole, James Fazy, Adrien Lachenal…
About thirty meters from Calvin’s tomb is that of Grisélidis Réal, the most famous Geneva prostitute, author of the Imaginary Pass., The transfer of his remains in 2009 to the Cemetery of the Kings then sparked a great controversy.

The Plainpalais flea market
Since 1970, the Plaine de Plainpalais has hosted one of the largest flea markets in Switzerland. Unmissable meeting place for second-hand dealers in the region, its stands offer all kinds of products: second-hand goods, books, clothes, jewelry,.,.. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, curious and bargain hunters can come and find unexpected objects.

The Old Plainpalais Museum
Created in 1953 under the impetus of the Plainpalais Interests Association, this tiny, human-sized museum contains precious documents and photographs that perpetuate the memory of the long history of the Plainpalais sector.

It is located in a building built in the “Beaux Arts” style at the end of the 19th century, which was the former town hall of Plainpalais, then an independent municipality, then the headquarters of the Social Service of the City of Geneva from 1930 to 1953.

Geneva Museum of Ethnography
The Ethnographic Museum of Geneva (abbreviated MEG) is a museum in Switzerland located in the district of Plainpalais in Geneva., Dedicated to ethnography, he won the 2017 European Museum Prize.

Patek Philippe Museum
The Patek Philippe Museum is a museum deprived of watchmaking in Switzerland located in the district of Plainpalais in Geneva., It was founded by the management of the Patek Philippe company.,

Factories that have become cultural centers
Throughout its history, the Jonction has housed industrial buildings, some of which have been converted into cultural centers:

The buildings of the former Société genevoise d ‘instruments de physique (SIP), founded in 1869, have housed the Contemporary Art Building (BAC) since 1994, comprising the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMCO) and the Center d contemporary art, as well as a small performance hall, dance studios and artist workshops.

The Geneva gold roughing factory, founded in 1880, has become the heart of Geneva ‘s underground culture. An alternative cultural center, the Usine offers a musical, artistic and cultural offer.

The Forces motrices (BFM) building, built in 1886, is a listed monument, which magnificently bears witness to Geneva’s industrial architecture at the end of the 19th century. In the past, allowing the driving force of the Rhône to be used, to control the level of the lake and to provide running water to the Genevans, the BFM was bought by the City and since 1995 converted into a performance hall., Did you know that the Geneva Jet d’eau was born there?

The Coulouvrenière gas plant operated between 1844 and 1915. After having housed the road network offices, then the Geneva Industrial Services (SIG), the site was partially abandoned. Having become “urban wasteland”, the land and buildings were taken over in the mid-1990s by nearly 300 artisans and artists, united in the Artamis collective., When it is found that the site is heavily polluted by substances threatening groundwater, they are forced to leave the premises. L ‘ Eco-quartier de la Jonction will soon see the light of day on this now reorganized site.,

Cultural and sports activities

Culture
Today, the old industries have been replaced by cultural spaces such as the Factory, the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices, the Gravière, the Kugler Foundry. The district already has several museums such as the Ethnographic Museum or the Mamco which is located in the rue des Bains, very popular with gallery owners. Many other smaller venues are also located there.

Sport
The presence of the Rhône makes it a popular place for water activities. It is also the starting point for activities such as kayaking or rafting.

Wooden platforms allow swimmers to relax while swimming in the Rhône. A refreshment bar and deckchairs are installed at Pointe de la Jonction during the summer so that swimmers can enjoy the sun.

La Jonction neighborhood house
The Maison de quartier de la Jonction offers social, civic and cultural activities to help each and everyone to find their place in society., Activities, support and means of action are proposed there. The house provides everyone, young and old, a place of expression, reflection and organization.

Related Anecdotes
Baths like in Pâquis
Between 1870 and 1886, people bathe in the Jonction district: public baths were set up on the small Volunteer Island, downstream from the Coulouvrenière bridge. At that time, Geneva was a seaside town., Of the many public baths established on the Rhône, the Arve and the lake, only the Pâquis baths remain today., The Coulouvrenière, or La Colle, baths were demolished in 1886 to establish a dam that supplied the turbines of the Motrices Forces (currently BFM).

Playful origin for avenue du Mail
Avenue du Mail inherited its name from a very fashionable game in the 17th century that was then played on the Plainpalais plain., This game, which resembles golf, pétanque and croquet, is played with a mallet with a flexible handle. The goal is to hit goals set in the ground with a ball that is pushed from the mallet.

Peasant and military coats of arms
The district of Plainpalais is an independent commune between 1800 and 1930. Its first coat of arms was created in 1892. They include 2 rivers: one of silver, the Rhône and one of gold, the Arve, in which one could find glitter Golden. A rake, a spade and a bucket wheel (which is used to draw water from the river) recall the peasant character of the suburb. An arquebus evokes the military history of the district: the Geneva soldiers practiced at the Coulouvrenière. The motto expresses well this military and peasant past: “we cultivate the fields which we will know how to defend”.

The Jet d’eau born at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices
Built between 1883 and 1892 by Gustave Naville and Georges Habicht, this water pumping plant was originally used to supply pressurized water to industries. Barely created, it is also suitable for the production of electricity., During the works, the 30-meter water column that sprang from the building’s discharge valve was so successful that it was moved in 1891 to the harbor, where it became an emblematic spectacle of Geneva: the Jet d’eau., which culminates today at nearly 140 meters., Decommissioned in 1986, the building was transformed in 1994-1995 to house a performance hall, annex of the Grand-Théâtre.

From Mills to Plainpalais
As its name suggests, the district of Flour Mills once housed mills., Initially, only a modest mill operated millstones using the force of the waters of the Arve. In 1879, a factory replaced it, which has now disappeared.

From plague victims to personalities
If the cemetery of the Kings is considered today as the local pantheon, it was not always so. Arranged in 1482 around the Plague Hospital, it is intended to accommodate the many victims of the plague. Its role has changed a lot since, since it accommodates the graves of personalities, part of the curiosities of the district. Among them is the “false” tomb of Jean Calvin, the famous reformer. At his death, according to his wishes and to avoid any cult of personality, he is buried almost anonymously, without indicating the location of his grave. It was not until 1999 that an elected official decided, despite numerous protests, to surround the supposed site of the reformer’s remains, to plant a low hedge there and to add a commemorative plaque.

Lenin at the Junction
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov known as Lenin, famous Russian revolutionary and founder of the USSR, made many stays in Switzerland during his exile, among others in Geneva. Between 1895 and 1908, he spent a total of 4 years in Geneva, notably at rue des Plantaporrêts 5, in the Jonction district. A plaque on the building at No 5 recalls his passage.

Cardoon from Plainpalais: a labeled specialty
Benefiting from an “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée” (AOC) since 2003, the Plainpalais silver thorny cardoon was introduced to Geneva in the 16th century by Huguenot farmers who, following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, fled persecution to settle in Geneva. It takes its name from the Plainpalais district, then essentially a market gardener, in which it was first cultivated before being planted at Jonction. Today, Genevan market gardeners continue to select, cultivate and blanch this specialty, traditionally served as a gratin at Christmas.