Bruxelles Lambert Bank
Geneva, Switzerland
1987/93-1996
Design
1987 (winning competition design)-1993.
Construction
1993-1996.
Commissioned by
Banque Bruxelles Lambert Suisse.
Site area
1’160 m²
Net floor area
4’500 m²
Volume
30’000 m³
General dimensions
41 x 16 meters; height 28 meters.
Compared to the original competition design, the realized building is much more sober and austere. It has, however, maintained its character as a signal highlighting the extent of changes introduced in constructing this part of the urban fabric.
The division of the north into two enigmatic towers overlooking the open area of Pré l’Evêque is not only an architectural device to create a different interpretation of the depth of the building. It is also the clear outcome of the articulation of the interior spaces, which can be seen beyond the glazed walls of the deep slit.
Entering the building from one of the apertures on opposite sides in the large fronts clad in “pietra dorata” and patterned by a regular rhythm of thin slits, the visitor discovers the vertical cavity of the void stretching up to the top of the building.
The circulation paths branching off from the void at every level establish a series of relations with right-angled intersecting views out beyond the continuous glazed walls.
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