“Our building is designed like a city”
Kersten Geers (left) and David Van Severen explaining their model. © Alain Herzog / EPFL 2015
Models of the future “RTS Campus”, which will house Radio Télévision Suisse beside the Rolex Learning Center, have been on display in the lobby of the SG building since 12 May. We interviewed architects Kersten Geers (also an associate professor at EPFL) and David Van Severen, from the Belgian architecture firm OFFICE.
What were your main sources of inspiration during the architecture competition?
Kersten Geers: The circumstances surrounding this project are exceptional in several ways. First, it is a fascinating environment. The fact that it’s located on a university campus, straddling UNIL and EPFL, is also out of the ordinary. Having the Rolex Learning Center as a neighbour played a crucial role in our thinking as well.
How do you build something next to an emblematic structure like the Rolex Learning Center?
K.G. : Our project is a response to both the RLC and Under One Roof. These two buildings are distinctive for their landscape approach, so for reasons of continuity it was out of the question to envision a towering edifice. And since the entire campus is built on gentle slopes, we too adopted a landscape approach. Our building, which will have some public spaces, is meant to be a passageway between EPFL and UNIL, via Under One Roof and the RLC – we think it may even liven up the east wing of the RLC.
You mention openness: will the public have access to the RTS editorial offices?
David Van Severen: The building will not be public, but several parts of it will be accessible, including a restaurant. It will also house a day-care centre and a multimedia library. But it's really the design itself that makes it a passageway. The editorial offices resemble a large plate – a “continuous field” – hung on four blocks. The plate floats seven metres above ground, like a canopy, protecting many possible pathways and delineating ground-level spaces, some more exposed than others. For example, there will be a large overhang under which events could be held. The public could also be involved in programmes in the main studio or other events organised by RTS.
How many employees will the building hold?
K.G.: At maximum capacity, 600 to 700 people will be able to work there. But the electronic media industry experiences ups and downs, by definition. Add to this the unknown ways in which this industry will evolve in 10 or 20 years – hence the need for a significant modular component. Our building is designed like a city with four clusters of activity – the blocks will house the radio and TV studios, the restaurant, the administrative offices and the media library. The editorial offices, in the plate connecting the blocks, are designed to be organised and reorganised as much as needed. This will give users the impression of constant activity, even during hours of slack staffing.
The models will be on display until 30 May in the SG lobby (level 2). For more info: http://archizoom.epfl.ch/Campus_RTS