Rolex Learning Center
Rolex Learning Center, July 2009
The Rolex Learning Center is a multi-functional buildings of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne ( EPFL) in Lausanne, is located near the north shore of Lake Geneva and was opened on 22 February 2010.
Building
The multifunctional building complex was designed by the Japanese architecture firm SANAA. The two Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, SANAA 's founders, won in 2004 unanimously approved the decision of the tender competition. It should be next to the library, a lecture hall, exhibition hall, conference room, work rooms for students and researchers, offices, a cafeteria, a restaurant and relaxation areas are housed in the building. SANAA distributed the various functional areas on a horizontal plane, this corrugated and managed under these bumps to new premises and the central access to the center. Just over half of the two-acre floor space consists of corrugated and unused areas, so-called "white " spaces that create in Japan so typical smooth transitions in the houses.
To get enough natural light into the building, fourteen round recesses were let into the platform. They comprise 20 % of the total. The window bands of the inner light shafts and patios are all unique because of the bottom curves. Some work areas are also shielded by round, clear glass walls ( Bubbles) from the environment. To compensate for the building tensions, the windows have been secured with special holders which can be offering scope for movement.
190 thin pillars support the parallel to the corrugated bottom extending roof. Inside and out, limit exclusively glass windows, the center, there are no doors, walls and corridors. Only the building sinks and hills divide subtly different areas. All barriers between faculties are cared for here. While the base plate is made of concrete, the roof deck is constructed of lightweight construction made of steel and little temperature sensitive glulam. A thin concrete layer insulates the roof deck.
The roof is supported by steel arches, which are clamped to the floor with cast drawstrings. Only in this way the curved roof areas were perforated with light shafts and still remain stable. The roof cover had to be poured in one operation, which for 48 hours required a continuous concreting. For the concrete mix a secret blend was developed because the concrete is not too runny and also could not be too hard. In order to insulate the sound, a felt carpet was moved at the request of the owners, the architects were able, however, to enforce a concrete color. Colorful cushions, scattered in heaps about the building, can be used for relaxation. Small cable cars and serpentine ramps were installed later at the request of disability organizations to make steeper hills accessible for wheelchair users.
The construction costs of the center were 110 million Swiss francs, 52 million came from private donors, in addition to the long-term EPFL Rolex also sponsors Credit Suisse, Nestle, Logitech, Losinger, Novartis and SICPA were called. The Rolex Learning Center has quickly become a landmark and a communications center at the University. The building is open daily except on high holidays of seven clock to midnight. Two months after the opening SANAA was awarded the Pritzker.
Library
The central function area is terraced scale, 6.200 m² large library. It has approximately 500,000 volumes printed literature and employs approximately 100 people. She has nearly 200 jobs for students, which represents a large reduction of the originally desired 800 seats because of the ground curvature. The center of the electronic library allows access to about 10,000 online journals and 17,000 e -books.