OPÉRATION TOURNESOL
by Vivian Holding
This summer, the Ville de Genève has plans to turn the city into a Van Gogh heaven with more than 10,000 sunflowers set to be planted, starting from mid-May onwards, in seven different locations. The project forms part of their continuing effort to make the city a greener and more pleasant place to live in.
Why Sunflowers here in Geneva?
“We wanted to bring, symbolically, a bit of the Genevan countryside into the heart of the city”, says Guillaume Barazzone, the Mayor of Geneva*
Where can you see the Sunflowers?
There are seven different locations, the Place des Alpes, close to Cornavin will contain the largest number of sunflowers (2,580) compared to the other locations of Boulevard Jaques-Dalcroze (1,450), rue Edouard-Rod (1,150), place des Augustins (1,250), place Pierre Fatio (870) and at the entrance of the Bains des Pâquis (1,200). A surface area of 1,000 square meters in total will be planted with the locally produced plants, as all the sunflowers will come from the Centre Horticole du Service des Espaces Verts in Vessy.
Why these locations and to what aim?
Their aim is to improve the quality of life for those who live in the most urbanised areas of the city.
“Projects such as this allow inhabitants to reclaim their neighbourhoods when the weather improves. In addition to their aesthetics, they also help to improve the quality of life by offering a breath of fresh air to city dwellers”.*
*interview with Giancarlo Matriani at GHI.
