PROJECT OASIS: APÉROS IN GENEVA
by Chené Koscielny
The Village du Soir – if you haven’t been there, it’s about time – has been transformed into a summer oasis – perfect for enjoying passion fruit mojitos and other apéros, we discovered.
The party village next to La Praille (Read our article about Village du Soir) has been transformed into a ‘summer oasis’ following the addition of thousands of plants to ‘transform the concrete village into something of a tropical garden’ over the next four years, according to organiser Sébastien Courage.
The idea is to plant around 1200 different plant species over the next 3 years. More than 60% of the plants, of which most are indigenous, have been pre-cultivated and will have an immediate impact on the popular nighttime spot.
However, the aim of the project is not only to prettify the venue but also to become a platform for developing other urban agricultural initiatives, according to Sébastien.
Seven themed gardens
The ambitious project includes plans for no less than seven different ‘themed’ gardens in the venue over the next 3 years, including a medicinal garden, a recycling garden, an urban garden, a tropical garden, a green pergola and a rooftop garden.
At least part of the motivation behind the project is also to reduce the noise produced by the thousands of revellers by creating ‘vegetal’ barriers following ongoing complaints from residents in neighbouring streets.
Festive vibe
On the night of our visit – the third Night Market – the Village certainly has a much less industrial feel about it with many visible trees and plants, deck chairs, a little pond with a bridge and atomisers emitting a refreshing fine spray of water. Another great addition: Outdoor planchas for barbecuing (You choose your meat, salad and sauce and barbecue your own food).
The vibe is festive, yet calm and peaceful with a DJ pumping out lively music and an impromptu performance by two rappers on the night of our visit. More surprises are planned throughout the summer (see our video below).
Passion fruit mojitos – and unicorn macaroons!
We interspersed several different flavoured mojitos (passion fruit gets our top vote) with delicious lobster rolls from Lobster & Co. and yummy cupcakes and unicorn macaroons from Cuppins, while happily working our way through the interesting stalls, which offered pretty things, albeit a bit too dominant on the jewellery side maybe.
If you’re looking for a cool, refreshing venue to sip apéros in Geneva on a hot summer’s evening, this summer oasis is for you.
To find out more about the programme at Village du Soir, visit their website.