herzog & de meuron: actelion business center

‘the actelion business center’ by herzog & de meuron in allschwil, switzerland image courtesy the actelion pharmaceuticals ltd.

swiss architecture office herzog & de meuron has completed ‘the actelion business center’ in allschwil, switzerland. featuring tetris-like volumes that seemingly float and cantilever over one another, the project provides 350 offices for employees while harboring an open and communicative work environment.

street view image courtesy the actelion pharmaceuticals ltd.

free roof areas generated from the offset stacking of the modules are planted with grass or conceived as roof terraces on the third and fifth floors. largely open to the street with floor to ceiling triple glazing, the design of the center encourages transparency in all directions. ducts and piping were purposely avoided in the walls to limit communicative barriers.

image courtesy christian weber

cantilevered units images courtesy christian weber

the project utilizes steel frames for the load-bearing structure of the building. organized in k- and x-shaped cross braces, the framework around the perimeter of the office space can be seen from the street below. the steel bars are also a present element in the interior, serving as a component of the design’s identity throughout the building.

cross beam support image courtesy the actelion pharmaceuticals ltd.

with the aim of operating the building’s activity in a carbon neutral manner, sustainable components have been integrated into the design: by inclining the glass facades of the upper floor offices downwards, the building self-shades to reduce the heat input from the sun. the triple-glazed windows feature automatically-adjusting louvers that shade according to the sun’s position. a part of the building’s energy is also produced from photovoltaic cells.

prairie grass on the green roof image courtesy christian weber