Project Description
The World Organization of Health decided to continue a tradition that began in 1959 by launching a new international design competition for the expansion of their headquarters in Geneva. After adding a series of constructions to the main building created by Jean Tschumi, the authorities decided to regenerate and expand the complex. The New Building, connected to the Main one through a pedestrian bridge, will host offices, conference rooms, a restaurant, a cafeteria and a reception area. Starting with 2019 it will accommodate the working posts and the offices currently located in the Main Building, that is scheduled to undergo complex restoration works. We conceived the New Building in harmony with the architectural features of the Main Building and with the beauty of the surroundings. Its key areas revolve around the central atrium, that has, at the same time, both a functional and an aesthetic value. The construction functions as a complex organism, that relates to its context by using efficiently all the available resources, without harming the natural environment or the architectural value of the site. We imagined a dynamic envelope that filters the exterior energies through the inertia of interior voids, thus regulating the natural flows and the quality of the atmosphere. The interior gardens help create a comfortable ambiance that increases the occupants` level of well-being and the indoor air quality. The interiors are envisioned as pleasant spaces that ensure favorable working conditions for its users. The layout is flexible and spacious, thus promoting communication, interaction and efficiency. Sustainability is consequently achieved by providing a coherent solution to the complex aspects that condition the context, one that balances aesthetic, ecological and efficiency matters.