About Balexert

Who we are?

Beyond shopping, beyond everyday life, beyond entertainment, Balexert brings together all the essentials to make your daily life easier. To satisfy your needs as well as your desires, we have been defending a visionary idea since 1971: bringing together all the essentials under one roof. 1 place, 1001 possibilities. We want to offer you a quality experience in a bright setting where each of you can find what you are looking for.
Everything under one roof, all under one roof: bringing together shopping, food, leisure and health in one place.

For her, for him, for the whole family: there is the essential shopping. For gourmets as well as street food lovers, there is all the essentials of fooding. For movie buffs, bowling enthusiasts and young and old athletes, there is the essential leisure.
And because we always need to go to the bank or the post office, we think of essential services. And for everyone, the essentials of health are there, because health is essential.

+130
Shops

+2’000
Parking spaces

50
Years of experience

19
Food points

13
Cinemas

1
Bowling

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History of your centre

1957

A project is born

Before Cornavin railway station and Cointrin airport were built on the right bank of the lake, traditional shopping was concentrated on the “lower streets”. It was therefore a natural step forward for this entire new part of the town to become a modern shopping venue.
The Migros Geneva Cooperative Society and Grand Passage belonging to the Jelmoli group began to acquire sites in the triangle between avenue Louis-Casai, avenue du Pailly and route de Meyrin in 1957, with a view to constructing a shopping complex.
On the American shopping centre model, the future Geneva facility was located some distance from the city centre. A study of traffic and existing or future access routes was therefore undertaken for this project.

1971

Inauguration of the Balexert centre

Inauguration of French-speaking Switzerland’s first major shopping centre with a total floor space of 27,000 m², 40 stores and 1,600 parking spaces.
The centre had two owners: Migros and Grand Passage.

1996

Grand Passage closes

Grand Passage closed in 1996, leaving Migros the sole owner of Balexert.
The zone formerly occupied by Grand Passage was divided into several different spaces, enabling new stores to be accommodated and the range of products on offer in the centre broadened.

2001

First Balexert extension

2001 saw Balexert’s first extension. The shopping centre now had total floor space of 54,225 m², with 110 stores and service companies. These works necessitated a substantial investment of CHF 133 million.
This extension enabled prestigious names such as Fnac, C&A, H&M and Migros to be grouped together. A cutting-edge Pathé cinema complex with no fewer than 13 screens was also added.

2006

Second Balexert extension

The P3 car park was inaugurated in 2006, linked to Balexert by a walkway overlooking avenue du Pailly and leading directly into the first floor of the centre.
The Ecole-Club Migros occupied a further 3,300 m² on the top floor of P3.

2010

Third Balexert extension

In 2010 the new west wing was opened with direct access by tram from route de Meyrin. 10,000 extra square metres provided space for the Migros hypermarket, melectronics, Globus, The Body Shop, Läckerli Huus, Lush, Okaïdi, the Migros restaurant, Nature & Découvertes, Carat jewellery store and the new day nursery.

2017

Time for refurbishment

Total refurbishment of the shopping centre’s outer shell was completed at the end of 2017.
The old grey frontages were replaced by elegant curved white and red surfaces.

2018

Interior refurbishment of the centre

Balexert will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2021. To mark this jubilee and give customers the benefit of a welcoming modern centre, Management put in hand complete refurbishment works in October 2018; they include replacement of the flooring, false ceilings, lighting and central glass canopy. Lasting for around 18 months, these works will be phased and carried out mainly in the evening and early morning, enabling customers to continue benefiting from Balexert in the greatest possible comfort.

2019

Replacement of the glass canopy

One of the main features of the interior redesign of Balexert is the glass canopy above the central lobby whose replacement will enable new energy standards to be met. This delicate phase will be completed in November 2019.
This new structure will make the centre brighter and far more up to date.
In parallel, the Balexert leisure facilities were extended in early 2019 with the addition of a bowling alley, restaurant and games area on the top floor of P3 following the removal of the École-Club Migros to Pont Rouge.

2021

Balexert celebrates its 50th anniversary!

Created in 1971, French-speaking Switzerland’s biggest shopping centre will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
To mark the occasion, total exterior and interior refurbishment of Balexert will be completed.

  • 1957
  • 1971
  • 1996
  • 2001
  • 2006
  • 2010
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • 2019
  • 2021

Satisfied customers

There are so many moments Balexert! Since 1981, I do not count anymore.
The most striking? It's old! My big aunt Zabeth took us to eat at a restaurant where McDo was, and now Pull & Bear, and she gave us a book on horses! Magic and precious.
Alexandra M.
Balexert was the day nursery when I was little, birthdays at the McDo with Ronald, daily visits when I was a teenager to watch all the Harry Potter films in the Pathé cinema and, last but not least, my first cigar at Havana&News. In a word, my whole life!
Benoît C.
I like walking through Balexert as the whim takes me, stopping for a tasty coffee at Pause Café, strolling around, seeking out the best clothing bargains and ending the day with a cinema visit. You can find everything here and that’s what I like so much!
Corinne M.
What I like best is visiting all these shops on my days off without my daughter.
To say nothing of meals with friends in all the restaurant corners – a moment of pure pleasure ???.
Audrey G.
Setting the world to rights with a friend over a nice cup of coffee, going shopping, having a massage, enjoying the delights of the Food Court and going on to the cinema to end the day with a great film.
You can do all that at Balexert ?.
Vanessa M.
maurizio sincini
maurizio sincini
17/03/2022
Le toppissime
Pierre
Pierre
17/03/2022
Très bien... seul regret, il n'y a plus, et depuis un bon moment déjà l'horloge, d'une marque de cigarettes certes, mais dont des maillets venaient frapper des tubes métalliques et former ainsi une mélodie
Paul Devoos
Paul Devoos
16/03/2022
Très grand centre propre et très actif même en soirée. Beaucoup de commerces, de restaurant et même un cinéma.
Zog-Zi Zog
Zog-Zi Zog
16/03/2022
Alain Gautherot
Alain Gautherot
15/03/2022
Magasin rénové.
LUIS GERMANICO CAMPUEZ OTAVALO
LUIS GERMANICO CAMPUEZ OTAVALO
15/03/2022
Milena Sierra
Milena Sierra
14/03/2022
Nice shopping mall, you can find stores like zara, h&m, mi casa, migros, fnac
Yann Benoit (Boon)
Yann Benoit (Boon)
14/03/2022
Immense, on se croirait dans un centre ville ! Beaucoup de boutiques en tout genre, des cafés, petite restauration, tabac etc... Parking, 1,5 frcs ch pour 2 heures env. Ctre commercial propre.
dylan c
dylan c
13/03/2022
yasaldo cardoso
yasaldo cardoso
13/03/2022
Google rating score: 4.3 of 5, based on 8652 reviews.

Gift Card

Are you looking for a gift idea? Look no further! The Gift Card opens the doors of Balexert for you! Accepted by more than 100 stores* in the centre, the card enables holders to buy anything they like.

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News

  • Shop news

JOTT new store

Created in 2010 by two Marseillais, Mathieu and Nicolas Gourdikian, JOTT (Just Over The Top) reinvents the way of dressing by focusing on comfort and…

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