The Edmond de Rothschild Foundations
FR | EN 
RSS Facebook
 

The Foundations have supported the restoration of a former orangery located on the magnificent shores of Lake Geneva. Renamed pavillon Plantamour, this unique site offers a rare opportunity for communion with nature.

By contributing to the complete renovation of the Parc Mon-Repos Orangery, renamed pavillon Plantamour, the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations and the city of Geneva offer the Genevan population a unique site for learning and local biodiversity. During this project, the Foundations complied scrupulously with current environmental requirements.

Reviving an exceptional heritage site: the pavillon Plantamour

In 1898, Philippe Plantamour bequeathed the Mon-Repos domain to the city of Geneva. Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, in the heart of the city, the park is greatly appreciated by Genevans for its eclectic architecture and rich plant life.

The Orangery, a greenhouse that formerly housed a botanical laboratory, is one of the park’s treasures. Remarkable for its Tuscan columns, large bay windows and glass canopy roof, it had never been fully restored.

Beginning in 2006, the Edmond de Rothschild Foundations, in partnership with the city of Geneva, financed the complete restoration of the building, renamed pavillon Plantamour. Close collaboration between the Foundations and the city allowed for a restoration design that preserves the site’s spirit while respecting the environment.

With La Libellule association, the pavillon Plantamour becomes an educational site focused on the environment

The goal of La Libellule association is to raise awareness about the observation, understanding and protection of nature. To this end, it organizes trips, exhibitions, conferences and various events for schools and the general public.

The association upholds a fundamental principle through its work: the importance of fieldwork. It is through fieldwork that La Libellule achieves its mission of imparting the wonders and importance of nature to the public. Founded in 2003, the association opened this nature center in 2008. It will use this privileged location to organize events and welcome the public and visits from schoolchildren.

A social entrepreneurship project

After helping the association to become established as a leader in building awareness about nature, this partnership is developing in new directions through a social entrepreneurship project. The goal is to offer businesses complementary environmental awareness programs for a fee. The new strategy, to be implemented in 2011, should allow the association to finance more of its needs and thereby decrease its reliance on subsidies.

>  La Libellule: http://www.lalibellule.ch