Research and Development Building in Baden, Switzerland

Subject to a constant process of development and change, the urban environment reveals its identity as a historical industrial location in a conglomeration of hall and office buildings of various sizes. Integrated into this orthogonal layout, the compact new administration complex was designed to exhibit a maximum degree of transparency as an expression of innovative entrepreneurship. The development contains 2,100 workplaces and is laid out in comb-like form, with a nine-storey elongated spine structure from which four six-storey tracts extend at right angles. Forming a link between these elements is a vertical and horizontal circulation system, consisting of lifts, stairs and bridges. The main access to this area is via a glazed tower that rises above the other sections of the building, creating a sign for the entrance situation that is visible over a great distance. Access to and egress from the building is via separate adjacent lobbies that project to half their depth into the entrance hall. The entrance is further accentuated by a protective suspended canopy tilted upwards above the lobbies and by the raised approach area along this face, which creates a distinct spatial zone in front of the building. The tower structure and access space with its brightly lit gallery levels provide an attractive entrance situation with clearly legible routes to all areas.