It was announced in a press release yesterday that the new conference hall Stuttgart, Germany-based Behnisch Architekten designed for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was completed. The organization, a self-funding United Nations agency with 188 member states, is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
The shingle-clad opaque structure sits between WIPO’s main building—known as Bâtiment AB—and the administration building, which was also designed by Behnisch Architekten and completed in 2011. The conference hall, with its cantilevered (up to 98 feet) structure raised above ground, offers panoramic views of the Mont Blanc and the nearby alpine landscape. The lobby separates the hall from its base, which creates an illusion not far from levitation. The auditorium, on the second and third floors of the building, seats 900 and harnesses daylight from the north-facing glazing.
The WIPO campus is hence complete, residing at the United Nations’ Place des Nations address; the United Nations building is less than a mile away.
