Unitechnologies

Construction of a factory in the microtechnological sector, Gals (CH)

Architecture Award : Prix AMO 2002

This micro-technology factory near the village of Gals in north-west Switzerland stands among maize fields bordered by two lakes. Not afraid of the blank page, Cro&Co place the factory in a site free of any restraints, but nonetheless propose a contextual architecture, firmly anchored within its natural surroundings. The factory sits discretely beneath a large roof, whose slope follows that of the site. The roof enables the incorporation of a large forecourt as well as visitor reception areas at the higher level, with car parking and logistics facilities on the lower level. Although the untreated stainless steel trays that make up the roof contrast with the surrounding greenery, their sourcing is entirely natural. This encapsulates the ambiguity of the factory in the fields, which addresses the very contemporary question of the boundaries between the physical and the biological worlds, the real and the virtual.