Maison de la Paix

The competition for the “Maison de la Paix” – the Geneva institute for postgraduate studies in international relations and development – called for the design of a freestanding building on an elongated site between the railway line and the United Nations Park.

With the future users in mind, the design aimed to visibly reflect and support the missions of the involved institutions. Transparency, openness, and communication were to be expressed through a sequence of large, layered volumes extending in varying degrees into the heterogeneous surroundings. The building was conceived to foster exchange not only on a physical level but also symbolically.