New tobacco processing plant Philip Morris SA

History

In 1994, Philip Morris decided to increase production to an annual capacity of 25 billion cigarettes and to adjust production to the existing environmental regulations. After evaluating several scenarios, it was found that the best solution would be to extend the facility in Serrières (NE). The sensitive site between the lake and the motorway N5, in conjunction with the location at the gateway into the town and in front of a large residential neighbourhood, prompted Philip Morris to launch a competition for architects of all disciplines in collaboration with the municipal authorities.

Goals

In the competition, the emphasis was on finding solutions combining optimisation of the total cost, process integration, convenience of utilisation and uninterrupted operation during construction. Another very important requirement was to find an expressive architecture respecting the environment and the neighbourhood.

Programme

The programme comprised the new two-tier tobacco processing plant (surface area: 18,000 square metres), the complete redesign of the accesses to the facility and the loading ramps plus the construction of a dust collection system.

Architecture

rich in contrastsThe building is characterised by several contrasts. The main production hall with its straightforward and imposing volume contrasts with the ancillary sections skilfully arranged at the edges, which mitigate the size of the main building and tie it more closely to the site. A contrast also exists between the large spans of the modular metal structure in the hall promoting further development of the process, the configuration of the nets and the concrete building of the technical sections. There is another contrast between the white, smooth und transparent structure of the hall – a shop window presenting the equipment to the city – and the industrial character of the façade, the dark, ribbed screen of the technical areas. And finally, contrasts can also be found between the random course of the shore bank and the geometry of the access square, between the lake and the bright red of the checking station.

Design-related decisions for multidisciplinary architecture

The support structure based on a grid measuring 20 x 20 metres consists of triangular trusses with a height of 2 metres and is arranged in the form of a beam grid. The entire hall rests on bored piles reminiscent of the lake dwellings found in this region.The cutting-edge technology selected for the curtain wall meets the requirements resulting from the high air humidity inside the building and satisfies the needs for natural lighting of the work areas and efficient maintenance.The concentration of the ventilation monoblocks in the south allows the main roof to be kept clear of all technical installations and presents a rooftop covered with vegetation to the neighbours.The checking station in the south is an important eye-catcher. The design of the access square on the lake side was decided after lengthy consultations with the municipal authorities.