by ArchitectureWeek
If "Swiss clock maker" conjures an image of quaint craftsmanship conducted in gingerbread workshops, think again. The oldest active watch making firm in the world, Vacheron Constantin, recently celebrated the opening of a new headquarters building that looks as sleek and trim as any 21st-century timekeeping technology.
Located in the Plan-les-Ouates area, in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland, the facility was designed by Paris-based Bernard Tschumi Urbanistes Architects, headed by principals Bernard Tschumi and Véronique Descharrières. The building was specifically crafted to convey an image of both novelty and continuity with the past. Founded in 1755, Vacheron Constantin takes pride in its creative design and technical mastery of research and production.
The new 110,000-square-foot (10,250-square-meter) corporate headquarters brings administrative and manufacturing functions together under the same roof. Its curving metallic envelope is glazed on the north and south faces, providing differing qualities of daylight for internal functions.
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