42 Rue du Rhone Geneva, Switzerland

This major refurbishment project lies in a fashionable district of Geneva close to the lake shore. The building is eight storeys above ground, with four existing basement levels, and provides six office floors above five levels of retail, with a public restaurant in new space at roof level; at ground floor a relocated public passage through the building maintains the permeability of the existing urban fabric.

The new undulating façade takes its reference from the mountains which form the city’s backdrop, and provides a distinctive image in the oblique views along the narrow street. At parapet level the stepped profile mediates between the different heights of the adjoining buildings; at street level increased projection of the glazing forms a canopy above the pavement and marks the entrance. The internal layout is reconfigured, providing a compact core along the eastern party wall, and clear, regular office space at upper levels.