Grüsch, Switzerland
Barkow Leibinger Architects

Photography © Margherita Spiluttini

This modern creation has reawakened a sleepy swiss town

Program: Trumpf, a multinational maker of high-tech tools, wanted to expand beyond its existing facilities. With its headquarters in the Swiss village of Grüsch, little space was available to grow. Together, the village and corporation struck a deal. The village provided the much-needed land for a combined facility for Trumpf and an incubator for start-up businesses, satisfying the company's requirements while bringing economic development to the local economy. An unusual and original collaboration.

Solution: The new building's assertive, contemporary image sets itself apart from the red-tile roofs of the village's chalet-style aesthetic without overwhelming its charming residential scale. Since opening, the incubator has become an important factor for the region, facilitating new enterprise and employment. Trumpf now provides employment to considerably more people, and the building is a magnet for economic vitality.

For more images please see the November 2003 issue or Architectural Record.

The Winners: Orange Innovations | Hotel Habita | Sekii Ladies Clinic | Start-Up Offices | Inn at Price Tower | Darwin Centre | Apple SoHo | Stealth/Ogilvy | Gannett/USA Today Corporate Headquarters | ImageNet

The Finalists: Automated Trading Desk Technology Campus | Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery | University of Washington | Herman Miller MarketPlace | Beacon Communications Office | New Academic Complex, Baruch College, CUNY | Mott Children's Center

Unbuilt Projects: Great Harbor Design Center

ADVERTISEMENT