Best Architects Award 14
The architectural firm Bauart, of which Prof. Emmanuel Rey of the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST), is a partner was awarded a "Best Architects Award 14" for the achievement of the “Marin Centre” building in La Tène. Each year, this international distinction rewards the architectural quality of projects carried out in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg or Trentino. Composed of architectural practitioners and professors, the jury honors approaches that stand out because of their originality and conceptual coherence.
The implementation of “Marin Centre” is the outcome of a careful analyze of the site characteristics, strategically situated between the highway exit and the railway station. By its positioning and shape, the center articulates the various levels of the site, while optimizing the access for the various transport modes. Built on a former parking, a large public park, which consists of a series of green pyramids, allowed to valorize excavation materials of the previous center and to articulate a new link with the neighboring village.
Short transition spaces connect the parking integrated to the building and the pedestrian entrances to a vast central space, flooded by natural light. The simple geometrical shape gives the impression of permanency contrasting to the constant evolution of the interior design of sales areas. Its envelope lies on a prefabricated wooden structure with various types of openings for the bioclimatic management of comfort.
The energy consumption was thoroughly studied in order to reduce drastically the heat and electricity needs. In addition, many environmental criteria were taken into consideration and integrated to the architectural approach such as reducing emissions, rain water management, choice of ecological materials and significant increase of biodiversity on the site.