In Lausanne, work has begun on the future mixed-use building on Avenue de la Harpe. Designed to address the neighborhood's needs, particularly the housing shortage in Lausanne, the project involves reconstructing a building to house ground-floor retail and office spaces, along with 13 rental units with diverse layouts to foster social mixing.
Commissioned by Halter SA as the general contractor and designated by the client, CPE Fondation de prévoyance d’énergie, CCHE has developed a project in dialogue with the city center. The primary objective is to establish an interaction between the building and the public realm, which is currently lacking.
The ground-floor premises open onto the street through continuous display windows that guide pedestrians along the avenue and the west facade. New areas for meeting and relaxation are also planned for the north and south of the plot. The robust, mineral-like materiality of the building's base clearly distinguishes its different functions. The addition of canopies along the street highlights these uses while protecting pedestrians from the elements.
On the upper floors, this materiality is maintained but transformed by a play on the roughness of the plaster, which enlivens and lightens the facade, distinguishing the more private areas of the project. References to Lausanne's Art Deco architecture punctuate the design, including rounded frames for display windows and balconies, the corners of the canopies, and the detailed metalwork of the railings.
The building is scheduled for completion in early 2027.
