Client
EPFL
Architects
3XN/GXN and IB
Competition
1st prize 2022
Floor area
140 000 m2
Visualisations
3XN
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Lausanne, Switzerland
New Ecotope Campus of the Swiss Federal Polytechnic Institute Lausanne (EPFL)
| Client | EPFL Innovation Park | ||||||||
| Architecture | 3XN | Itten+Brechbühl SA | ||||||||
| Surface area | 25'000 m2 | ||||||||
| Construction volume | 105'000 m3 | ||||||||
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Located to the west of the main campus of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the 140 000 m2 Ecotope is a master plan and a central building on the campus, designed to create a social, sustainable and active research centre.
EPFL, one of the world's leading public research institutions, has had a dedicated innovation space - the Science Park and Innovation Square (FEIP) - since 1991. But as FEIP turns 30 years old, the potential and demand for strategic research partnerships has increased, leading to a rethinking of innovation at EPFL.
The aim of the project is not just to expand the campus but to create a dynamic and stimulating environment where companies interested in innovation can meet to share ideas.
The design of the Ecotope campus not only brings together business, science and technology, but also places great emphasis on access to greenery and biophilic principles. The pedestrian walkway that connects the campus is also green: it brings nature into the heart of the site and extends towards the main pedestrian axis of the EPFL campus.
The design of the master plan and its main building is based on six key principles (biophilia, serendipity, modularity, sustainability, strong identity and comfort), which link them as an inextricable unit and guarantee flexibility for changing needs in the future.
The main building, located in the south-east corner of the site, will serve as the gateway and social centre for the Ecotope campus. Laboratories and offices surround the perimeter of the building, perforated by twin atriums which, like the social spaces throughout the Ecotope campus, will become centres of innovation and collaboration.
The first phase of construction of the Ecotope campus is scheduled to begin in 2024. A clean transport system will also be set up, linking Ecotope to the main campus.
