Place du Molard

The Place du Molard is a trapezoid-shaped space, closed and strongly defined by the façades of the surrounding buildings. It's the only fully-protected public area in Geneva and in summer months crowds flock its open air cafés. To reinforce the simplicity of the present layout, sandstone paving was used throughout – an ordinary feature, but one which connects the square with the adjoining public spaces. The past, and especially the Middle Ages when there was a lake port at this spot, is a major consideration. Water is evoked by the random distribution of luminous glass pavés, which become more and more numerous the closer you come to the lake. These pavés are a metaphor for the relationship between the place and its history, reminding you of the proximity of the water. The individual’s appropriation of this public space is emphasized by words chiselled at random into the glass squares – simple phrases like good morning, see you soon, or welcome written in six different languages.