La Tête witnesses several hundred thousand commuters passing by daily – by train, streetcar, car, or bicycle. This sleek, seven-story cuboid featuring a rooftop garden is positioned neatly along the block’s edges, about twice as long as it is wide. This simple cubature gave us maximum flexibility to design a highly functional and emblematic facade. Capturing the zeitgeist and media landscape, we anchored the design around the theme of digitization, enveloping the building in a 30-meter-high barcode motif. The striped pattern was sliced and shifted horizontally at each floor level. Rather than materializing the black stripes, we accentuated the gaps between them – with snow-white powder-coated aluminum composite panels, mounted onto horizontal black panels and slender vertical seams in front of the curtain wall. This building radiates dynamism; it demands attention and wants to be remembered. The captivating images displayed on the 80-square-meter screen disseminates the latest news – from the editorial desks straight to the heart of the city.

La Tête’s architecture embodies openness and non-hierarchy. There is no designated executive floor, and everyone can enjoy the inner courtyard with its inviting seating amidst birch trees – including neighbors and passersby, who are also welcome to read the newspaper in the lobby. The building’s “Town Hall” doubles as a public space, actively encouraging direct engagement and hosting events with audiences. The “Cubes” – small, open multi-use spaces protruding into the courtyard like drawers from the white perforated facade – afford a glimpse of the building’s activity. At the very top, sheltered behind the raised glass facade, lies a spacious sky garden, open to all employees and serving as a unique venue for events with views across the city.