Danish architect 3XN and Swiss designer Itten + Brechbühl have unveiled their plan for an extension to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL).
The 250,000 sq m Ecotope expansion of the institute’s Science Park and Innovation Square will be an “ecological landscape” with laboratories and offices arranged around its perimeter, joined by two atriums.
The Science Park and Innovation Square presently houses 150 start-ups and 30 large companies employing over 2,600 people. Now it is at capacity and an expansion is necessary.
Jan Ammundsen, 3XN’s senior partner, said: “Our design creates a place that will have a positive impact on society for years to come. Ecotope will be a campus that facilitates and generates disruptive innovative solutions by being the interface between EPFL and society at large.”
Ursula Oesterle, EPFL’s vice president for innovation, added: “It’s not just about adding surface area. Today, businesses interested in innovation – whether startups or established companies – need a place where they can meet on a daily basis to share ideas. That’s the kind of vibrant, stimulating environment we intend to create with Ecotope.”
The first phase of construction is due to begin in 2023.
