AMDL Circle and Michele De Lucchi have designed the new Novartis Pavillon in Basel
The new Novartis Pavillon, in Basel, designed by AMDL Circle and Michele De Lucchi, serves a representative function for the Swiss pharmaceutical company. In fact, it is both a space for welcoming visitors to the campus and a state-of-the-art information and education center; its spaces are flexible and reconfigurable, also available for events open to the public.
Discover the Swiss Pavilion at EXPO Dubai 2020
The main feature of the Pavillon is its innovative facade. A diagonal mesh structure, set 50 cm from the metal roof, integrates new-generation, double-sided solar panels and a grid of LED lights. This sustainable energy system is self-powering and provides a huge continuous and dynamic screen that is dynamic that can be viewed from all angles. It is a multimedia membrane designed as a light art installation, inspired by the shapes and colors of cells and molecules; moreover, it is arranged with technologies to function as a tool to communicate both the company’s values and commitment to the popularization of scientific knowledge.
A pavillon dedicated to research and welcoming people
The layout plan of the new building is inspired by the universal symbology of the circle, considered a powerful field of psychophysical energy; the ring-shaped plan is structured on two levels plus a mezzanine. The ground floor hosts the entrance foyer, a bar, a check-in area that includes an informal and flexible space for educational activities and meetings, which also hosts events and presentations of publications or scientific and cultural documents associated with Novartis.
On the mezzanine, a multimedia theatre with stepped terracing acts as a pivotal point between the ground floor and the upper one. Lastly, the first floor hosts an exhibition space located designed as a circular and fluid gallery, without walls or dividing elements.
A key element of the project is light, which characterizes the spaces in a distinctive manner. Natural light enters the ground-floor space, which, instead of walls, is surrounded by glass, without interrupting contact with the outdoors. Artificial light radiates from the ceiling of the upper floor and, combining with the lighting effects of the video installations on the walls, diffuses soft light into the gallery, creating an intimate and collected atmosphere in an immersive and interactive environment. The environment thus created engages visitors and helps them understand science, research and the evolution of knowledge. [Txt: Arianna Callocchia – ph: Rasmus Hjortshøj, Michael Reiner]
