Steven Holl Architects in collaboration with Rüssli Architekten has won the international design competition for the new Geneva Operational Center for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders. The Geneva Operational Center will provide work and social spaces for more than 250 MSF staff. Steven Holl Architects’ winning design utilizes colored photovoltaic glass that express the program’s flexibility while also providing shading and a large portion of the building’s energy.
Titled Colors of Humanity, Steven Holl Architects designed a cubic geometry that reveals its open-ended flexibility, which can be added onto in the future. In addition, all programs lend themselves to multi-cultural dimensions. The interior of the new Operational Center has criss-crossing passages, encouraging open dialogue and interaction between all who work in the building. The passages are lined with casual seating alcoves and other small-scale social gathering spaces. The collaborative and social areas have embracing curves. These centers serve as a friendly catalyst for interaction, acting like social condensers within the building.
 
Mathieu Soupart, Logistics Director for the MSF Operational Centre Geneva, stated: “Steven Holl Architects’ project is the opportunity for MSF to integrate its core values like independence, impartiality, neutrality, altruism and dynamism in a challenging new architecture and project itself in the future.”

Of the 15,000m² of construction space granted by the surface right, 10,000m² is considered for the current project of the new operational center whose construction is scheduled to take place between 2019 and 2021. In accordance with the growth of activities, a second stage of a maximum of 5,000 m² could be done by 2030.

The Geneva Operational Center will provide workstations, meeting rooms, classrooms, and social spaces for more than 250 MSF staff, who support the activities of more than 6,500 field staff covering missions in 23 countries. The building will also house the “International Office,” the international secretariat of the MSF movement, which includes activities related to the “Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines” and various international projects piloted from Geneva, now occupying about 100 employees.
 
“Doctors Without Borders, MSF, is an inspiring organization. It is an honor to realize architecture for their Geneva home,” said Steven Holl. 

On the facade of the Geneva Operational Center, photovoltaic glass in varying degrees of permeability will provide energy, shade, and the building’s bold colors. The curtain-wall facade will utilize 40% transparent solar cells that can be produced in a multitude of colors and allow for fully operational windows. The roof will house high efficient photovoltaic panels in addition to a roof garden. Combined with Genilac, the Geneva district lake water loop, the solar cells will raise the building’s self-produced electricity to 72% of the building’s operation usage.

The Geneva Operational Center will be located adjacent to the new Institute of Higher International Studies and Development, designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates; and the Terra and Casa Foundation housing for expatriates, designed by Bonnard Woeffray Architectes.

Steven Holl Architects and Rüssli Architekten were unanimously selected in the international competition, which included Pool Architekten & Mak Architecture, Sauerbruch Hutton, Emilio Tuñon Arquitectos wand Ruckstuhl Architekten, Blue Architects, and Consortium Sou Foujimoto with The New Talent Workshop.

The start of the project is planned for the Spring of 2019.
 
About Médecins Sans Frontières.- Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. For more information on Médecins Sans Frontières and the new operational center.
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Steven Holl was born in 1947 in Bremerton, Washington. He graduated from the University of Washington and pursued architecture studies in Rome in 1970. In 1976 he attended the Architectural Association in London and established STEVEN HOLL ARCHITECTS in New York City. Considered one of America's most important architects.He has realized cultural, civic, academic and residential projects both in the United States and internationally. Most recently completed are the Cité de l'Océan et du Surf in Biarritz, France (2011).

Steven Holl is a tenured Professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture and Planning. He has lectured and exhibited widely and has published numerous texts.

Recently the office has won a number of international design competitions including the new design for the Contemporary Art Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, USA) and he has been recognized with architecture's most prestigious awards and prizes. Recently, he received the RIBA 2010 Jencks Award, and the first ever Arts Award of the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards (2009). In 2006 Steven Holl received honorary degrees from Seattle University and Moholy-Nagy University in Budapest. In 2003 he was named Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Steven Holl is a member of the American National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), the American Institute of Architects, the American Association of Museums, the Honorary Whitney Circle, the Whitney Museum of American Art; and the International Honorary Committee, Vilpuri Library, of the Alvar Aalto Foundation.

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