The new headquarters of the Swatch group designed by Shigeru Ban is divided into three parts. The core is the structure resembling the shape of a snake and hosting both the national and international departments of the company. In addition, we find the new Omega factory and the Cité du Temps.
Swatch headquarters by Shigeru Ban opened in Biel
Swatch unveiled its new headquarters in Biel. The project, signed by 2014 Pritzker Prize winner Shigeru Ban, is one of the largest wooden structures in the world.
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- Valeria Crescenzi
- 14 October 2019
- Biel
- Shigeru Ban Architects
- 25.000 sqm
- Workplace
- 2019
The most iconic architecture piece of the company site is without any doubt the sinuous wooden structure that challenges the classic architectural characteristics of office buildings. It looks quite like a concert hall, with very large spaces at the entrance, multiple common areas and galleries with view on the lower levels. The structure designed by Shigeru Ban is 240 meters long, 35 meters wide and reaches 27 meters at its highest point. A bright building with an area of 25,000 square meters distributed over 5 floors making room for 400 workstations. Impressive numbers for a building of such kind. Its exterior and interior are an interlaced mix of rounded shapes, transparencies, colors, and classic elements all reinterpreted in an original way. The timber gridshell is a set of 4600 beams fitted into each other thanks to a sophisticated plug-in system. The outer shell consists of opaque, semi-opaque and transparent elements serving primarily as sunlight moderation and thermal insulation components.
This impressive structure was built using 1997 cubic meters of Swiss wood, mostly spruce. A quantity that can regrow itself in as little as two hours. The use of solar energy and a groundwater pumping system guarantee autonomous operations of the main building functions (ventilation, cooling, heating, and lighting both of the Swatch headquarters and of the Cité du Temps) while contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
- Swatch haedquarters
- Biel, Switzerland
- Workplace
- Shigeru Ban Architects
- Swatch
- Blumer Lehmann
- 25.000 sqm
- 2019
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. Detail of the wooden Swiss crosses on the ceiling improving the acoustics in the offices.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. Frontal view of the walking bridge at the third floor connecting the Swatch building to the Cité du Temps where the Omega museum and the Planet Swatch are located.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. An unusual installation is located at the very end of the second floor, a staircase that leads to nowhere. Called Reading Stairs, it encourages coworkers to take creative breaks.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. Exteriors. View by night of the bridge connecting the new Swatch building to the Cité du Temps.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. Cafeteria, one of many common areas scattered all over the building.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. The outer shell of the new curved Swatch building that extends for a total length of 240 meters.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. The generous glass window at the entrance Looking out onto Nicolas G. Hayek Street.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. The generous glass window at the entrance Looking out onto Nicolas G. Hayek Street.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. Two glass elevators take employees and visitors to the upper floors and to the glass walking bridge that connects the building to the Cité du Temps.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. Gallery located on the second floor.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. One of five evergreen Bucida buceras (also known as Black Olive trees) as height as two floors. They feels comfortable at room temperature and keeps its leaves all year round.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. One of the five evergreen Bucida buceras (also known as Black Olive trees) as high as two floors. They feels comfortable at room temperature and keeps its leaves all year round.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. One of the labs of the office.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. One of the meeting rooms.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. The “piazza” one of many common places scattered all over the building.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. Workstations located at the second floor of the building.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. View from above of the whole company site by day.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. View from above of the whole company site by night.
Swatch new headquarters in Biel. View over the workstations from the second floor.