Cantonal School of Art of Lausanne (ECAL)

In the summer of 2007, the Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne (Switzerland) was able to move into its new premises in a former factory near Lausanne. The architecture was designed by two renowned architectural firms: Bernard Tschumi, the internationally active French-Swiss architect with offices in Paris and New York, and the Bureau d‘architecture Claude Fehlmann, Switzerland.

After five years of intensive preliminary work – coordination between the school, authorities, and architect – the renovation was completed in just 18 months. From industrial production to creative intellectual work – that was the challenge of the renovation. The old “Iril” stocking factory was wrapped in a new metal shell, partly to insulate it thermally and partly to give it a new appearance. Inside, new spatial relationships were created, and a large passage on the ground floor opened sightlines across the building.