Visitors' Center of Red Cross and Red Crescent

Location

Located at the edge of the CICR esplanade, the Belvedere-roofed MICR enjoys a privileged location with an exceptional view.

Within that turreted, terraced setting the Visitors’ Center conveys to its visitors an emblematic image of the headquarters of the institution and of the magnificent place it occupies. That is when one is struck by the captivating location. From the new Visitors’ Center the view opens up over the lake and the distant panorama, in the order observed: Parc de l’Ariana, Lake Geneva, the rolling hills of Cologny, Voirons, Môle and Salève, and when the fog finally decides to leave town: the “normal sight” of Mont Blanc.

Architectural layout

The Visitors’ Center is set in an extension of the museum building, on its roof. From a building, in the ground and introverted, complementing it above-ground: open to the vista and open to the site of the institution.

The Visitors’ Center  appears as an extrusion from the MCIR, extending its patio and adapting its shape to the new above-ground layout. Originally the patio had been an inner atrium, with the structures situated around that empty space and a central stairway winding vertically all the way to the top. This unifying “strip” became the symbol of the new building.

Program

The program is broken down into three stages to ensure the functional independence of the various entities while also benefiting from quality concessions. The restaurant is located on the esplanade level and benefits from an ideal extension for its terrace which is the social gathering place of the center, the one that is frequented the most. Situated right above the museum it is also easily accessible for its visitors. The second upper level houses the museum offices and conference rooms, separated by its two users and independently accessible. The third level is the “beautiful floor” because it accommodates the large multi-purpose hall and its foyer from which one accesses the panoramic roof terrace.

Construction and materials

The new building is a light construction so as not to overload the existing structures: the vertical and horizontal structures are made of bonded lamellar wood. The construction above the partitioning slab is entirely made of dry materials: no cement coping, for example.

The façade consists largely of glass, with the opaque sections consisting of aluminum panels anodized in three different shades, giving the façade a sparkling appearance.