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The Tower of Cedars | Lausanne

The Tower of Cedars Lausanne

Images

Project

Stefano Boeri Architetti (team leader)

Location

Chavannes-Prés-Renens, Lausanne, Switzerland

Year

2015 - ongoing

Typology

Architecture, Vertical forest

Credits

Project:
Stefano Boeri Architetti
Founding partnerL: Stefano Boeri
Partner and project director: Marco Giorgio

Competition:
Project leader: Marco Bernardini
Team: Claudio Colla , Agostino Bucci, Emiliano berni

Partners:
Agronomist, Botanist, landscape: Studio Laura Gatti
Economic evaluations: GAD
structure: BuroHappold Engineering, London
Impianti: Weinmann-Energies SA, Lausanne
ISI – Ingénierie et Sécurité Incendie

Project:
Project leader: Marco Neri
Team: Giacomo Volpe, Jacopo Villa

Partners:
Local architects: RDR Architectes SA
Agronomist, Botanist, landscape: Studio Laura Gatti
Structure: NFIC + INGENI
Impianti: Weinmann-Energies SA, Lausanne
Electrical systems: MAB
Geological survey: Géolosanne
Antincendio: BG Protection incedie
Façade specialist : Emmer Pfenninger
Acoustic: D'Silence
BIM Manager: ABLE
Topographical surveys): Reso Vaud Sàrl, Prilly CH
Traffic study: Transitec SA Lausanne

Consultants:
Studio Laura Gatti (Botanical expert)

The project for the Tower of Cedars by Stefano Boeri Architetti, initiated in 2015 as part of the redevelopment plan for the “Les Cèdres” neighborhood, stands as a new, prominent territorial landmark in Chavannes-Près-Renens, near Lausanne, Switzerland. It is a visible urban reference from the entire northern area of the city, representing not just a tower but rather “a home” predominantly developed vertically. It emerges as a prototype of a new housing model, harmoniously combining a high level of apartment comfort with a direct and privileged relationship between the residents and the surrounding plant world.

Primarily a residential building, the Tower of Cedars has a rectangular footprint and a height of 117 meters, aiming to create a unique exchange and empathy with the typical local lake landscape, fully opening towards Lake Geneva. This presence confirms and strengthens the extraordinary balance between nature and the city, the water surface, the forest, and the fields: the basic elements that make up the rich DNA of the Chavannes landscape. In these terms, the project can be seen as a “living symbol” of a new relationship between the urban sphere and the natural sphere: a fundamental episode of biodiversity architecture, a development of the vertical afforestation concept that sees the light for the first time in Switzerland.

In line with the typological philosophy of vertical forests, on its 36 floors, the Tower of Cedars accommodates 152 large trees, shrubs, and other plants of various sizes and species – chosen among native ones – covering an overall planting area of about 1293 square meters. It establishes a dialogue and continuity of habitat with the species already populating the surrounding territory. It invites residents to live and coexist harmoniously with nature, sharing an unusual experience of closeness with the trees, plants, and birds of Chavannes.

The innovation that strongly characterizes the Tower of Cedars project, fueling an innovation and study of the vertical forest typology, lies in the presence of a series of variable-length loggias and staggered arrangements. These not only host pots for trees and plants on each floor, creating a real forest but also animate the facades and break the rigid vertical succession of levels. This balance between nature and artifice, perceptible from the city and its surroundings, offers – through certain points of view and perspectives – the representation of a vertical overlap of landscapes. With a cantilever of over 3 meters, the projecting bodies are mainly positioned on the south facade but are also present on the other facades, maximizing solar exposure and views, as well as utilizing orientation for enhanced livability.

Furthermore, the tower is strategically positioned thanks to its privileged connection with public space. Like other buildings in direct contact with the east-west axis of the neighborhood plan, the tower follows a north-south orientation logic. The space to the east of the tower presents itself as a large landscaped square with the capacity to host a market. In addition to this intermittent function, the square is available for surrounding activities with the installation of outdoor tables and terraces, making this place lively for both residents and users.
North of the tower, after a mineral square, a walkway is created along a water feature representing the unifying element of the park as an extraordinary biotope for fauna and flora. This element also establishes a direct connection between the M1 stop and the heart of the Les Cèdres neighborhood.

In addition to the 252 apartments of various sizes and distribution, the Tower of Cedars also houses public-interest activities on the first two floors and the 32nd floor, opening not only to users but to the entire city, fostering urban relationships among all elements that make up the new neighborhood.

Finally, the project features 331 photovoltaic panels on the roof, covering a total area of 688 square meters, with the capacity to produce, at full capacity, 128 kWh/year of electricity. Combined with a geothermal system, these solutions ensure sustainable coverage of the tower’s energy needs, adding to the natural benefits provided by the presence of greenery on the facade – such as shading, CO2 and fine dust absorption, oxygen production, and the creation of a more livable microclimate for users. This makes the Tower of Cedars project a unique and distinctive landmark, thanks to its architectural quality, urban clarity, and biodiversity.

Press release