The new Cherpines Sports and Cultural Complex is one of the key facilities of the future Cherpines district in Plan-les-Ouates. Located at the heart of a vast public park, it is designed as a place for social interaction, sports, culture and leisure, bringing together residents of the district and the wider urban area through a diverse range of activities.

Commissioned by the Municipality of Plan-les-Ouates, the project consists of three buildings accommodating a comprehensive range of sports, cultural and administrative facilities. The complex includes an aquatic centre, an ice rink, a fitness centre, an administrative centre, a concert and multi-purpose hall, accommodation facilities, a racquet sports centre featuring tennis, padel, badminton and squash courts, a multi-sports hall, an inline hockey track, a sports house, spaces dedicated to music, dance and theatre, as well as indoor and outdoor climbing walls. A parking facility completes the development.

The urban layout is characterised by the free positioning of the buildings within the park, promoting landscape continuity, active mobility and the appropriation of outdoor spaces. This arrangement connects the various activity hubs of the district while providing an open and welcoming environment for the many activities offered.

The architecture is based on a bioclimatic design approach highlighting the clarity of structural systems and the use of low-environmental-impact materials. The buildings are covered by extensive timber roofs whose geometry is adapted to the requirements of the different spaces. The structural system is based on a regular 5.50-metre grid combining cross-laminated timber (CLT) beams, glued laminated timber elements and timber-steel truss structures. This design minimises material consumption while ensuring long spans and high flexibility of use.
The implementation of the complex also involves significant engineering challenges related to the shallow Ziplo groundwater table. Construction works require a watertight excavation enclosure and braced sheet pile walls to ensure excavation stability and preserve the site’s hydrogeological conditions.

The project forms part of an ambitious sustainable development strategy. It includes the use of FSC- and/or PEFC-certified Swiss timber, recycled concrete where technically feasible, the recovery and reuse of materials excavated on site, and the exclusion of chemical treatments and biocide-containing products in heated spaces. Large photovoltaic roofs also contribute to renewable energy generation and to reducing the overall environmental footprint of the development.

Through its scale, mixed-use programme and environmental ambitions, the Cherpines Sports and Cultural Complex is set to become a landmark facility of the new district and a major hub for sports, cultural and community life in Plan-les-Ouates.