CLOCKWORK PRECISION

If "Swiss watchmaker" conjures an image of quaint craftsmanship housed in gingerbread workshops, think again. The oldest active watchmaking firm in the world, Vacheron Constantin, has a new headquarters and factory in Geneva that looks as sleek and trim as any 21st-century timekeeping technology (photo by Christian Richters). Next week we'll take a closer look at the building, by Bernard Tschumi Urbanistes Architectes, that was designed to offer an image of both novelty and continuity with the past.

GENZYME'S LIGHT-FILLED CENTER

In designing the Genzyme Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner wanted to reflect the biotechnology company's spirit of innovation in the building's form and function. So they put ecological sustainability high on the list of priorities along with creating a welcoming appearance and setting an example for urban development. Expressing all these goals, grand central atrium (photo by Roland Halbe) brings sunlight to interior gardens on every floor. Next week we'll take a tour.