Pavillon d’Eau

As a final project of the EPFL school, a temporary pavilion stood for over one month in the Lake Geneva, questioning about ornamentation, structure, limits and relationships to the site.

Stone: Origins and Future in Architecture

On June 12 and 13, 2025, IUAV University of Venice will host "Stone is…," an international forum entirely dedicated to natural stone. Organized by PNA, this event aims to thoroughly explore the material's enduring value and sustainability, featuring insights from internationally renowned speakers.

Sponsored content

On the Geneva lake in Switzerland, the Pavillon d’Eau is a pavilion made of wood and porcelain, and part of the final Master Project at EPFL school. It is an achievement born from the collaboration of two main Swiss universities, EPFL and HEAD (Geneva), built in the municipality of Saint-Saphorin.

01 / 05

Img.1 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, EPFL and HEAD, Saint-Saphorin, Lake of Geneva, 2017

Img.2 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, EPFL and HEAD, Saint-Saphorin, Lake of Geneva, 2017

Img.3 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, EPFL and HEAD, Saint-Saphorin, Lake of Geneva, 2017

Img.4 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, EPFL and HEAD, Saint-Saphorin, Lake of Geneva, 2017

Img.5 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, EPFL and HEAD, Saint-Saphorin, Lake of Geneva, 2017

Designed by the EPFL student in Architecture Alexander Wolhoff, the pavilion is the outcome of 6 months of research, of prototyping and of dialogue between the different local and academical actors. The UNESCO World Heritage Site municipality of Saint-Saphorin en Lavaux offered their waters to host the ephemeral pavilion.

Img.6 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, EPFL and HEAD, Saint-Saphorin, Lake of Geneva, 2017

The purpose was to bring out the Lavaux’s heritage by emphasizing its crystalline relief composed of waves and alpine crests. The whole project has been carried out to not to leave any imprints on the site, and the anchors are non aggressive to the lake’s bed. If the exterior of the pavilion has a structural language, the inside, which is only visible by foot in the water, is ornamental. The porcelain tiles in enamelled Bleu de Sèvre and their particular form are an attempt to capture the site’s glare playing with both the sunbeams and lake’s refraction.

Img.7 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, EPFL and HEAD, Saint-Saphorin, Lake of Geneva, 2017

The pavilion addresses the notion of ornamentation in architecture: the interior is a raised porcelain dome, outlining boundaries of designed atmosphere; whereas, its exterior environment surrounds a structure which is the result of a technical answer. The pavilion is also a response to an ideal site, water and landscape. Each tile composing the inner dome reflects light. The glare of the sun on the china’s surface is in constant alteration. So that the surface of the dome seems to adopt liquid movements that are in dialogue with the scenery and the lake, upon which the pavilion stands.

01 / 06

Img.8 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, EPFL and HEAD, Saint-Saphorin, Lake of Geneva, 2017

Img.9 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, EPFL and HEAD, Saint-Saphorin, Lake of Geneva, 2017

Img.10 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, EPFL and HEAD, Saint-Saphorin, Lake of Geneva, 2017

Img.11 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, technical drawings

Img.12 Img.11 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, technical drawings

Img.13 Img.11 Alexander Wolhoff, Pavillon d’Eau, technical drawings

Pavillon d’Eau, Saint-Saphorin en Lavaux, Lake of Geneva
Program: temporary installation
Architect: Alexander Wolhoff
Team: ALICE D. Dietz, Raffel Baur, LHT3 R. Gargiani, Me R. Fiechter (EPFL), Cercco M. Gerber, I.Schnederle, J-P. Greff (HEAD)
Dimensions: 5.40m exterior diameter, 3m interior diameter, 3.98m hight.
Weight: 500 kg
Completion: 2017

Seamless design, ECLISSE steps outdoors

ECLISSE introduces Syntesis Areo Outdoor, extending the sleekness of its flush-to-wall system to exterior applications. Robust and adaptable, it reimagines technical access points as integrated design features, ensuring a continuous aesthetic flow between interior and exterior spaces.

Sponsored content

Pavillon d’Eau

As a final project of the EPFL school, a temporary pavilion stood for over one month in the Lake Geneva, questioning about ornamentation, structure, limits and relationships to the site.

Stone: Origins and Future in Architecture

Seamless design, ECLISSE steps outdoors

Latest on News

The highest 3D printed tower in the world rises in the Swiss Alps

The world's largest archaeological museum will open this year: opening date revealed

Vitra and Rimowa have designed a trolley that is also a stool

Overtourism: are we traveling just to recreate Instagram photos?

Latest on Domus