The Italian firm Giovanni Vaccarini Architetti has designed the new Headquarters of the Swiss Société Privée de Gérance (SPG), built on Route de Chêne, at the gates of the historical centre of Geneva. The work involved the reconversion and extension of the existing building, starting with the definition of a sophisticated architectural envelope which transformed the headquarters into a volume with vibratile materiality and seemingly elusive outlines: a device that promotes the energy efficiency of the building. The quality of the work spaces is a central theme of the project which, through the original system that can be seen on the façade, provides the cue for a new architectural solution with strong aesthetic value and high energy sustainability.

The glass façade meets the twofold need of ensuring solar shading for the interiors and at the same time allowing maximum visual permeability for the surrounding environment. It also allows the acoustic and thermal insulation performances of the building to be improved: the double skin means the envelope can be naturally ventilated and the perimeter ventilation system combined with the internal forced ventilation system reduces the overall energy consumption. The steel structural elements on the façade, produced by Stahlbau Pichler, a specialist in the sector, create a modular rhythm and reflect on the glass shading panels giving material weight to the light reflections.