The campus architecture of Le Rosey, an international boarding school in Rolle, Switzerland, consists of a dozen buildings with a stately character. Within this context, the competition for a new philharmonic hall and arts center for the well-known school raised the question: how can architecture establish a complimentary relationship between the old and the new—a dialogue between tradition and modernity? Last but not least, how can one make a highly sustainable, naturally ventilated 900-seat concert hall?

Our strategy proposed a low, flat dome—a metal envelope that emerges from the landscape, shining in the sun by day and reflecting ambient campus light by night. This dome provides a common denominator for the various parts of the program. A place of meeting and interaction, it is situated at the base of the keystone-shaped area formed by the existing buildings.