Located on the shore of Lake Geneva, the new Lombard Odier ‘One Roof’ headquarters brings together 2,000 employees previously dispersed across six sites in Geneva, while offering capacity for up to 2,600. The new building embraces transparency and flexibility through a design guided by two main principles: maximizing the perception of the natural surroundings and creating interior spaces that foster collaboration.

One Roof is situated in Bellevue, north of Geneva’s city center, as part of the 2017 Champ-du-Château masterplan which includes a large housing complex, a park, and underground car and bike parking. The surrounding area is characterized by its residential nature and abundant green spaces, with proximity to both the botanical gardens and the Quartier des Nations, home to several international organizations. The site offers excellent connectivity through public transportation and links to an extensive bicycle network.

Maximizing Perception of Nature and Daylight
The façades are treated identically, with no distinct front or back. The transparent, open building, with its fully glazed façades, maximizes the perception of le Grand Paysage – the lake, the mountains, and the green surroundings. Through a canyon-like central atrium lined with meeting rooms, natural light reaches even the deepest parts of the building.

The building is characterized by thin, curved slabs that cantilever out, providing passive sun shading for the glazed façades and offering accessible, covered outdoor spaces for staff and clients. The curves are not always superimposed, the contours vary, and the terraces differ in orientation and size according to adjacent programs—the building breathes. Slender, white columns support the terraces and blend with other vertical elements such as rainwater pipes and guides for the textile sun shading. The cantilevering slabs reduce reflections on the glazing, and together with stepped slab edges enhance the airiness of the building.

Inside, slabs transition to become ramps or stairs, allowing fluid connections between levels. This inner topography is particularly evident in and around the large auditorium, where the curved stands project out to the sunken garden becoming an outdoor theatre. In specific areas, floor plates are cut to create multi-story spaces, such as the main entrance in the north or the collaborative spaces facing the lake. The building’s irregularities are designed to evoke elements found in nature.