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This transparent office building for 500 employees of the Swarovski Corporation is situated on the eastern side of Lake Zurich, 19 km south of the city of Zurich, in the village of Männedorf. The main focus of the design is the lake view, through the transparency of the façade as well as the arrangement of the work places. The ground floor contains a lobby with a lounge, a restaurant, conferences rooms and workshops. The upper floors contain mostly open office space for maximum flexibility.
There are 170 parking spaces at the basement level. The design and the sustainability concept follow the Swiss Minergie eco standard. Water from the lake is used for both heating and cooling. The client wanted to promote team work through open and transparent offices in cutting edge sustainable building. The architecture supports and initiates informal and formal communication between the employees from all levels.
Flexible and reversible office layout should allow for quick and easy organisational change. The brief called for high-quality workplaces for all employees. The orientation of the building and the all-glass facades make maximum use of the qualities of the site. The client wanted workplaces that stimulate creativity, well-being and allow barrier-free communication. It is achieved by creating a 'community' workplace experience with a balance between open and protected areas and transparent partition walls.