the new center for the performing arts at institut le rosey by bernard tschumi architects
all images courtesy bernard tschumi architects


bernard tschumi architects has won an international invited competition to design a new center
for the performing arts at institut le rosey, the renowned boarding school in switzerland.
the new building will be named carnal hall after the school’s founder, paul carnal.





le rosey is located on the shores of lake geneva, near rolle. the existing campus has a cohesive,
traditional architecture marked by mansard roofs and a wedge-shaped campus plan that opens
onto the site, defining an open-ended court. the design began with the question of how to
expand the campus with a contemporary building, fostering a dialogue between tradition
and modernity, while updating the arts and performance facilities for a new generation of students.



entrance to the center


the winning scheme proposes a low, stainless-steel dome that defines the site and spatially
organizes the disparate parts of the program: an 800-seat concert hall, a black box theater,
conference rooms, a learning center joined to a library, a teaching center, practice rooms for
music and the arts, and several relaxation spaces featuring a restaurant, a cafe, a student lounge,
and other amenities. a series of side openings articulates the periphery of the dome, and a terrace
is cut into the center near the apex, offering views of lake geneva. the main interior space is
the concert hall, with programmatic zones around its periphery that are articulated into an
architectural promenade. from the campus, the keystone-shaped terminus of the quadrangle
forms a ceremonial entrance to the project and the slope of the dome echoes the undulating
landscape near rolle. the reflective steel will provide a distinctive identity and a landmark for
the school and the region.



aerial view at night


the building’s compact shape minimizes its external surface area, acting as a thermal shield.
this provision reduces energy consumption and shelters the large interior spaces under
the dome with a minimum of material. the reflective polished steel offers additional energy
savings over traditional cladding materials and shelters the glazed areas from sun and inclement
weather.



axonometric view