Extension headquarters of an international organization in Geneva
Berrel Berrel Kräutler emerged victorious in a 2014 open, international competition for the expansion of the headquarter, beating out 253 competitors. The new building complements the structures designed by Jean Tschumi in 1966, situated in an extensive park on the outskirts of Geneva. The expansion resulted in a U-shaped enclosure of green space with a closed, representative facade facing the street. Similar to Tschumi’s design, the addition consists of a connecting base, a set-back ground floor, and a projecting volume above.
The new concrete base, with its large window bands facing the park, bridges the old and the new. It becomes the new heart of the entire complex, a place where employees gather during breaks and come together for conferences and meetings. A broad interior passage is designed as a gallery, providing a view of the restaurant, and offering glimpses into the garden.
A terrace with a rooftop garden crowns the top of the base and invites strolling between the ground floors of the two high-rises. Like Tschumi’s building, the cube-shaped new office tower projects on all sides above the ground floor. Despite its outwardly strict appearance, this nine-story office building is open, bright, and flexible on the inside. The atrium, open across all floors, allows visual connections throughout the tower. The aluminum facade echoes the faceted appearance of Tschumi’s building.
REFERENCE NUMBERS
Competition: 2014
Completion: 2020
Floor area: 38'000 m2
Building volume: 140'000 m3
PROJECT PARTICIPANTS
General contractor: Implenia
Building management: Tekhne
Construction supervision: Pierre-Alain Portier, Elodie Chareyre
Construction engineer: Dr. Schwartz Consulting, Dr. Neven Kostic
Landscape architect: ORT AG für Landschaftsarchitektur
Building technology: Amstein + Walthert Genève SA
Facade planners: Emmer Pfenninger Partner
Geoengineering: Dr. Vollenweider AG Light design: LLAL Photos: Damian Poffet
TEAM BBK
Execution: Thomas Jouffe, David Calvo Sabroso, Maëlis Nibourel, Enric Blanco, Sabrina Ruckstuhl, Thomas Antener, Jaime Rodriguez, Samuel Häusermann, Jan Schöb, Dion Stürm, Ulrike Koepke, Poppy Floyd, Floriane Fol, Djuna Stöckli, Dalya Ortak Competition: Jaime Rodriguez, Bianca Böckle, Tilmann Weissinger, Benjamin Pannatier, Linda Münch, Hanna Jahkonen, David Klemmer, Jennifer Koschack