ITU – International Telecommunication Union

Situation

The building was erected in 1962 and 1973 on a parcel of land made available to the ITU in the district where the major international organizations are located. The result of an architectural competition launched in 1972, the building is part of a localized neighborhood plan, in the vicinity of the Place des Nations, between avenue G. Motta and rue de Varembé.

The project now completed came first in the judging of proposals from the six architects invited to compete, out of the sixty-two entries received.

The jury gave its unanimous verdict in March 1993, praising the excellent fit between the needs expressed and the space available, as well as the formal simplicity of the exterior, while also reserving interesting relationships and good connections between interior volumes.

Begun in mid-June 1997, the project was commissioned in September 1999 and inaugurated on October 9, 1999.

Program

A response to precise and restrictive requirements. Built on thirteen levels – four underground (parking lot), two above ground and seven above ground – the building features over 63,000 m3 SIA and 10,600 m2 of usable floor space.

It is the ideal complement to the two existing buildings on the ITU plot. The tower built in the early 1970s will retain its role as the main, emblematic building, housing the General Secretariat and various departments.

The new building meets the very specific requirements formulated when the competition was launched.

In particular: to enable the preservation of the group of semi-underground conference rooms built as an extension to the first buildings, as well as the offices and workshops located in the extended building along rue de Varembé.

The program essentially defines premises for a library and archives, a computer center, two 100-seat conference rooms, plus two other rooms for sixty people, each of which can be divided in two.

Lastly, environmental constraints, and in particular the rules of the neighborhood plan, led to the adoption of a project with a particularly restricted right-of-way, whose program nonetheless provides a well-adapted response to all the needs expressed.

Project

Innovative solutions and technical rigor. As the available space was relatively small in relation to the size of the program, the aim was to superimpose requirements, while maintaining excellent links between the different functions.

In order to free certain areas of the building from occasional load-bearing structures, such as the committee rooms and lobbies, three levels of office space were suspended from a lattice structure that supports the roof of the building and also acts as the top floor.

These major options give the project its distinctive character, which is visually expressed by its simple massing and rigorous lines.

Up to the level of the second-floor platform, the commissioning rooms and lobbies fully occupy the built space. From this level onwards, the office spaces are organized around a central courtyard, which also opens onto the library, built into the static height of the upper structure.

The office spaces are created by lightweight walls that can be modified over a 120 cm module, offering great flexibility of use.

The rational use of IT tools inspired all technical and ergonomic choices, such as space sizing, natural and artificial lighting, cable distribution systems, thermal regulation, surface coverings, etc. The project is based on the choice of elements with proven qualities.

The originality of the project lies in the way in which the constituent elements are exploited. In particular, the constructive aspects linked to the facades and technical distribution systems (ventilation, sprinkler, ADB, air-conditioning, fire safety, etc.) required expertise and an innovative spirit to deliver reliable solutions.

These features make the third ITU building a further example of the dynamic and highly favorable role played by Geneva’s various international organizations in the field of technical excellence and in adding value to the urbanization of the city of Calvin.