Soutenable Légèreté

At the territorial scale, this strategy is reinforced through a reconfiguration of mobility and public space. The removal of the car lane along Quai Ernest-Ansermet allows the campus to extend towards the river, transforming its edge into a new public realm. A network of informal pedestrian routes structures this ground, supporting soft mobility and everyday movement across the site. A new transversal connection to Boulevard Carl-Vogt strengthens the relationship between the university and the city, repositioning the campus as a permeable interface rather than a closed enclave.

The building itself takes the form of a 20-storey tower, approximately 80 metres high, deliberately kept below the scale of nearby developments. Its verticality is moderated through subtle volumetric displacements inspired by Paul Klee, giving the tower a composed silhouette that reads as a landmark without dominating its surroundings. Two constraints shape its organisation: the limited footprint available in relation to the programme’s scale, and the intention to free the ground level for civic use. These conditions structure the building into three main strata (basement, ground, and upper floors), each establishing a distinct relationship with landscape and programme.

The ground level unfolds across three interconnected planes, accommodating public-facing uses and managing different flows of access for visitors, students, and researchers. These spaces are conceived to extend the life of the campus indoors, supporting meetings, exchange, and informal occupation. Below ground, four basement levels host functions that do not require direct natural light, reducing the apparent bulk of the tower above and limiting its impact on the open space. Logistics and technical services are consolidated in a shared distribution zone with the neighbouring Sciences building, improving maintenance efficiency and reducing interference with primary academic spaces.

The architectural expression emerges from the principle of sustainable lightness. Thin horizontal slabs appear to float from rigid bracing cores, with discreet vertical supports integrated into technical elements. Cantilevered slab edges reinforce this perception of lightness while reducing reflection and overheating on the glazed façades. The structural system combines reinforced concrete stability with a hybrid material logic, balancing performance, flexibility, and reduced material impact. On the upper floors, raised technical floors support adaptability over time, allowing the building to evolve alongside changing research and teaching practices.