WTO SECURITY PERIMETER GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, 2009-2014

Client In the context of the extension of their facilities, identity by these measures. As the security FIPOI (Fondation des Immeubles the World Trade Organization WTO in Geneva perimeter wraps the WTO campus, it travels pour les Organisations planned a security perimeter around their covertly through the gardens that currently sur- Internationales) entire site. Situated directly at Lake Geneva, round it. Wherever it goes, it minimizes the idea Architect the building ensemble is surrounded by very of a barrier in favor of liveable spaces inspired Behnisch Architekten, Stuttgart differently designed public parks – Barton, Rap- by the landscape features already in place. Competition pard and the botanical gardens. The design of Made of steel sections, with different surfaces 2009 the perimeter is a direct reference to this very and distances between the poles, it adapts Planning and construction heterogeneous environment. itself to the environment and is as unobtrusive 2011-2014 as possible, acting instead as a kind of filter Length Designed as a fence, the barrier crosses both between the interior and exterior. The fence Ca. 835 m / 2,740 ft. the forest-like section of the park as well as the and the parapet have fabric-like effects that Address meadows with fruit trees and appears in the allow them to dissolve in their surroundings. Centre William Rappard form of a terrace on the side where the lake is Rue de Lausanne 154 located. In this way, a previously missing base Landscape-architectural elements supplement 1211 Genève 21 is created for the existing building and the real and enhance the design and form a harmo- Switzerland boundary becomes less visible. The public area nious ensemble together with the perimeter leading down to the lake is maintained as a ter- and the terrace. race for WTO employees and given a distinct