Administrative Building for André & Cíe. S. A., Lausanne

Abstract

This building has a triangular planform It has two basements, ground floor, six storeys, an attic and terrace. The offices, which are air conditioned, occupy the external part of the building, and the inner zone of it is taken up with the service facilities, lifts (also a goods lift, for documents and suchlike), dressing rooms, posting room and a service staircase. Office rooms are mutually separated by mobile partition walls. These are fixed according to a standard module, which allows for the formation of «cells» of unitary or larger number of units of size. The management rooms have fixed partitions and occupy the south wing of the fifth floor. In the attic there is a small dining room, and a smoking room for foreign clients. A very fine view is enjoyed from these rooms. The building structure is made of reinforced concrete, and the external enclosures are curtain walls, made with light weight metal, which enclose large sized fixed windows and smaller ones, which can be opened. All of them have insulation glazing and Venetian blinds. To the external observer, this building gives a powerful impression of lightness, transparency and modern design.