Squares of Montchoisy

In 1926, the architects Maurice Braillard and Louis Vial put forward a general plan for the development of a site of nearly 7 hectares, the property of the Naville and Pictet families, on which stood a substantial 18th-century house. This first proposal, which provided for closed squares and retained the old house, did not receive planning permission. The plan eventually adopted (1927) provides for four squares, open at the corners, consisting of 51 buildings, together providing between eight and nine hundred dwellings. The first square (or Square A, comprising 12 buildings) was built in 1928–29, and in 1931 Braillard built the group of 4 buildings that formed the first side of Square B. Subject to the vagaries of the economy, later construction by a number of architects extended over a period of some three decades.

An innovative urban project

The proposed squares were shown at the first Swiss town-planning exhibition, held in Zurich in 1928. This innovative urban project, an expression of the modern architectural thinking of the inter-war period, was the subject of a number of articles in the planning journals. The layout adopted retains all its value today, in that it :

• Allows the integration of the planned ensemble into the fabric of the surrounding area;
• Defines an emphatically urban environment;
• Differentiates semi-public space from the public space of the street by the creation of squares, with the accommodation facing inward;
• Meets the requirement for a light and airy environment.

A rich architectural vocabulary, a high standard of accommodation

The classical vocabulary of the Square A facades gives way to resolutely modern, spare forms in the buildings of Square B. The richness of fitting and decoration, the treatment of the window openings and entrances and that of the banisters and paintwork (which varies from floor to floor) harmonise and contrast with the monumental simplicity and uniformity of the constructed forms. Inside the apartments, the design of the door-knobs, the elegance of the fireplaces and the variety of the plaster mouldings to the ceilings all contribute to the power of the whole.

The outstanding spatial quality of the apartments can be seen in:

• The through plan, ensuring plenty of natural light;
• The functionality of the overall organization;
• The fine proportions and clear articulation of the spaces;
• The generous size of the rooms and their adaptability to different purposes;
• The extension of private space through the provision of transitional, semi-public spaces of high quality (stairways with natural lighting, richly decorated entrance hallways, landscaped squares, integration of local shopping etc.)

The FBA’s activities

In the early 1990s, the FBA systematically surveyed all Maurice Braillard’s buildings in order to assess their condition. This inventory revealed the diversity of approaches adopted in maintenance work and in the conversion of attics into flats, for example, thus highlighting the need to maintain a unity of treatment within the buildings, a unity evidently not helped by number of different managing agents involved and the number of apartments per floor. A first step was taken in making residents aware of the qualities of the buildings when a small exhibition was organised in the local public library, facing Square A, offering an opportunity to provide basic information about the specific architectural qualities of the squares. As in the case of the Maison Ronde, an information pack was assembled by the FBA and provided to owners and managing agents. In addition, a consultant architect commissioned by the Foundation makes regular visits, helping to ensure the appropriateness and consistency of work carried out.

Documentation available

Reduced copies of the original plans and drawings can be consulted at the Foundation, as can black and white and colour photographs take at different times (among them a number by Boissonnas). A comprehensive file of information, including articles, student research, site logs etc., is available at the Foundation’s premises.