Cité-Nouvelle
Origin of the name Cité-Nouvelle
The meaning of the name is unknown. The estate is also called « Cité Nouvelle d'Onex » and « Cité nouvelle d'Onex-Lancy ».[2]
Founding of Cité-Nouvelle
Cité-Nouvelle was born of a request from the canton. In 1960 the municipality of Onex agreed to sell almost 110'000 m² of land along the route de Chancy to a public-law foundation that was to build social housing there. This took the form of slab blocks or towers of nine to fifteen storeys. The core of the estate, the Cité Caroll, designed from 1958 by the Honegger Frères practice, lies in the neighbouring municipality of Lancy.[1][2]
History of Cité-Nouvelle
1953-1955. A development plan of 1953 and a study plan of 1955 are kept in the file of the architects Georges Brera and Paul Waltenspühl on the Cité Lancy-Onex.[3]
1958. The Honegger Frères practice designs the Cité Caroll, in Lancy, as the core of the Cité Nouvelle d'Onex.[2]
1959-1960. First buildings of the Cité Caroll, around the Caroll shopping centre.[2]
1960. At the request of the canton, the municipality of Onex agrees to sell almost 110'000 m² of land to a public-law foundation for social housing.[1]
1961. Preliminary designs and project by Georges Brera and Paul Waltenspühl for the Cité Lancy-Onex.[3]
1962-1963. Construction of the Hogarlan tower, which marks the abandonment of small prefabricated façade elements in favour of larger ones. Only the caissons of the Honegger-Afrique system are kept.[2]
1960-1970. The population of the municipality of Onex rises from 2'128 to 13'524 inhabitants.[1]
1965-1966. Completion of the block on the rue des Racettes in the Cité Caroll.[2]
2007. On 26 June, the Commission des monuments, de la nature et des sites confirms the rating « intéressant » given to the Cité Caroll.[2]
Historic sites in Cité-Nouvelle
Cité Caroll. Group of apartment buildings and shop units by the Honegger Frères practice, built from 1959 to 1966 in Lancy. With more than a thousand dwellings, it is that practice's largest work.[2]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Onex » (Jacques Barrelet), version du 02.12.2010
- République et canton de Genève, recensement « Honegger Frères (1930-1969) », fiche RHONE_49, Cité Caroll, Lancy
- EPFL, Archives de la construction moderne, fonds Brera et Waltenspühl, « Cité Lancy-Onex 1961, à Lancy » (0015.04.0121)
- Office cantonal de la statistique (OCSTAT), Mémento statistique du canton de Genève 2026, tableau Population résidante par commune, en 2025
- geo.admin.ch, service de recherche de swisstopo (Cité-Nouvelle, Onex, coordonnées)
Other villages near Cité-Nouvelle
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