The Philo project by Bernard Tschumi Architects is a new academic building for Institut Le Rosey in Rolle. The project introduces a circular educational structure that responds directly to the existing campus context. Its form establishes a dialogue with both the traditional vernacular stone buildings on the campus and Carnal Hall, a metallic domed concert hall also designed by the same architects.
Bernard Tschumi Architects: The Circular Vision of Philo
The most defining architectural feature of the project is its circular geometry. The building is positioned diagonally and slightly off-center in relation to Carnal Hall. This deliberate placement creates a spatial relationship between old and new campus elements while giving the new structure an independent identity. Volumetrically, the Philo building matches the nearby Carnal Hall, with an approximate diameter of 75 meters and an approximate height of 18 meters. This proportional consistency helps unify the campus through scale while allowing each building to retain a distinct architectural expression.
Continuing a material palette already present in Carnal Hall, the building employs steel, concrete, wood, and glass. These materials balance structural efficiency with warmth and transparency. Steel and concrete establish the primary structural and spatial framework, while wood introduces a tactile interior character suited to learning environments. Glass enhances visual connections between interior and exterior spaces and supports daylight penetration throughout the building.
The internal planning focuses on flexibility and evolving patterns of education. Classrooms, laboratories, and circulation areas are designed to support multiple teaching formats and informal collaboration. Instead of treating corridors only as movement zones, circulation spaces are conceived as spontaneous workplaces where small groups can gather, meet, and study while the skylit central atrium integrates helical slides and winding staircases. This approach turns the entire building into an active learning environment rather than limiting educational use to enclosed rooms.
Along the perimeter, classrooms open onto a planted outdoor passageway and smaller gardens. These exterior spaces extend learning beyond the enclosed building envelope and encourage new ways of teaching and social interaction between students and faculty. The landscape is an integral architectural component. As planting changes in shape and color through the seasons, the building continuously reflects environmental transformation, allowing architecture and nature to operate together over time.
Through its circular form, calibrated scale, material continuity, and adaptable learning spaces, the Philo project presents an academic building where architecture supports interaction, movement, and changing educational needs while remaining closely tied to its campus setting.
Philo Building Project Details
Project Name: Philo
Architect: Bernard Tschumi Architects
Client: Institut Le Rosey
Location: Rolle
Building Size: 200,000 sq ft (18,500 sq m)
Diameter: 75 meters (Approx.)
Height: 18 meters (approx.)
Image credit: Iwan Baan
