THE ISSUES Lombard HQ


T


here are Swiss private banks, and then there are Swiss private banks. And Lombard Odier, which traces its lineage back through two august Genevois in-


stitutions that joined forces in 2002, is among the most pedigreed of them all. The antecedents of the modern business were founded in 1796 and 1876; several of the present-day partners in the business have ties to the original founding families. So the symbolism and significance of the decision to uproot more than 2,000 Gene- va-based staff from their offices in the city – some of them beautiful, historic buildings that had been owned by the company for many years – and relocate them out of town, in a completely new premises, should not be underestimated. As you would expect of an institution


like this – which is trusted by its clients to look aſter CHF211 billion in assets – the location of its new home was not selected by accident. The piece of former agricultural land that Lombard Odier’s headquarters now occu- pies – 6km north of its previous headquar- ters, on the western edge of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) – is preternaturally well con- nected. As well as being just six minutes’ drive from the airport, it is on the doorstep of a train station that whisks passengers into town in 12 minutes, next to the highway and also a newly approved ferry route that will carry passengers from Corsier. It’s not hard to see why another interna-


tionally renowned Swiss business, Richemont, chose the same area, Bellevue, for its own new headquarters when it relocated in 2006. The aspect lives up to the municipality’s name; right next to the lake, with unobscured views of the Alps and Mont Blanc. For the building itself, Lombard Odier ran a tender process in which eight firms partic- ipated. The eventual winner was Ba- sel-based architects Herzog & de Meuron, one of the premier names in the industry,


THE ATRIUM,


ENCASED BY GLASS- WALLED OFFICES, IS INTENDED TO ALLOW THE PRINCIPLE OF ‘OPENNESS’ TO TRANSLATE INTO THE BUILDING’S INTERIOR


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