Headquarters

Merck Serono asked architects Murphy/Jahn to design a workplace that would be the reflection of the company itself: innovative, environmentally friendly, sympathetic to the local community, and above all, facilitating the processes and corporate culture that ensure success.

It takes streamlined processes to make decisions in minimum time and move products quickly from concept to market. This requires open lines of communication both within and between departments.

The new HQ in Geneva clearly facilitates exchanges: an open forum provides a light and airy venue for informal discussions, and a range of facilities, from small rooms to a 300-seat auditorium, cater for every other style of meeting. The predominance of glass as a building material is more than just an analogy for transparency in decision-making, and the fresh air circulating throughout the workspaces better captures the mindset of the employees than the recycled air associated with air-conditioned offices. “Focus” is also a key word in the Merck Serono corporate culture and the uncluttered nature of the new headquarters reflects this priority.

The common spaces have the feel of a University campus, as is appropriate for a workplace that gives pride of place to its research activities and recruits and retains world-class scientists and skilled professionals in a range of disciplines. Since 1999, more than 500 scientific publications in peer reviewedpeer-reviewed journals give an indication of the excellence of Merck Serono’s investigations, and, not surprisingly, the library holds a central position in the HQ building complex.

Merck Serono also aims to be a responsible employer, providing an environment where individuals can thrive and contribute to the overall success of the company. This commitment is brought to life in a workplace where on-site childcare, a fitness center, restaurants and cafeterias provide for the health and well being of its multinational workforce of over 1,200 individuals from more than 50 countries.

Merck Serono’s flagship HQ offers more than an attractive design: the complex is intelligently conceived to ensure a minimal impact on the environment and sustainability in the future.

An estimated 70% of the energy consumed on-site is renewable, with the main source being nearby Lake Geneva, which provides about half the energy requirements of the whole building complex. An innovative system for heating and cooling the buildings, using lake water pumped underground, has been developed in collaboration with the Geneva cantonal authorities and will, in time, be shared with nearby buildings including international organizations. Sloping glass panels, like scales on a fish or the shingles on a traditional Swiss chalet, add interest to the facade. They are both an attractive architectural feature and an integral part of the system for controlling the environment within the building, as is the 1000m2-cantilevered roof of the atrium that opens to allow fresh air to circulate. Natural lighting predominates, made possible by the specially treated glass that optimizes the amount of light that penetrates. Understated landscaping links the exterior and interior of the building through continuous planting and provides a pleasing link to nature not often felt in a business environment.

The Merck Serono complex has been thoughtfully placed in its setting. The attractive red brick buildings and iron supports of the 19th century industrial site have been fully renovated and provide a historical underpinning to the futuristic glass structures that surround them. This dynamic area of Geneva – close to the main train station and commercial center – is also the heart of “Genève internationale”, the home of the United Nations, and many non-governmental organizations, as well as academia and health research centers. It is both a residential area, and the site of numerous small businesses and schools. Merck Serono has made itself part of this community, linking closely to the local transport systems and opening a third of the places in its childcare center to local children.
Innovation, sustainability and thoughtful design: the new headquarters of Merck Serono in Geneva capture the spirit of the company and inspire all those who work here to share its values.