AN ASTONISHING CONVERSION
Swissroc Construction was commissioned to convert a former printing workshop located in the very lively Eaux-Vives neighbourhood. This location now houses La Esquina, a brand new restaurant concept, offering tasty dishes with South-American and Californian-Hawaiian influences to eat in or take away.
CONSERVATION
The major challenge lay in changing the purpose of a listed establishment, which was in a particularly deteriorated condition. As restoration required meeting strict hygiene and safety standards, we had to undertake heavy conversion works while complying with the conservation standards set by the CMNS (Commission des Monuments, de la Nature et des Sites).
COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS
In addition to electrical and hygiene standards, the acoustics were at the centre of Swissroc Construction’s focus, which was supported by Archac, a specialist in the field. The floors and ceilings were therefore covered with rubber fibre in order to avoid any noise pollution for the close neighbours.
CUSTOMISATION AND PRACTICALITY
The Geneva-based agency Cornélius designed the project. Important work to consider the structure of the rooms was carried out in order to make optimal use of the 150 m2 available. The arcade comprises a kitchen, a storage space with a cold room, cellars, a restaurant seating room with the capacity for 20 covers as well as a dedicated Take-Away area. The kitchens were designed to facilitate the teams’ work and their movements. This is why all the stainless steel installations were custom-made.
AN EXOTIC FEEL
The space features an imposing six-metre long counter custom-designed in brushed steel with a thick solid wood top assembled by the Swissroc Construction teams. The surf décor with shades and colours from South America and Hawaii includes a wall covered in a tapestry from the United States with hand-painted floral patterns. This tapestry, which is incredibly fragile, required all the Swissroc Travaux teams’ dexterity to be hanged. The floor is a tiled mosaic imitating parquet with the nuances of four different species of wood. The RBPC consortium also contributed to the restaurant’s aesthetic design, giving it an artistic touch. Their wall paintings and the works exhibited add to the exotic feel.
CONVERSION
Key project data
| Type of comission | General contractor |
| Director of Construction | Xavier Canonica |
| Number of Swissroc employees | 2/ Project manager : Florent Manzanera |
| Number of subcontractors | 6 |
| Type of operation | Conversion |
| Purpose | Restaurant |
| Project Duration | 3 months |
| Surface area of the property | 150 m² |
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