Henning Larsen, in collaboration with Brière Architectes, has won the competition to raise building B777 at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN for its French initials), specifically on its campus in Prévessin-Moëns, close to the border between France and Switzerland.

With its circular shape embracing a courtyard-plaza, the wooden volume contains offices, laboratories, and workshops, maintaining a constant connection with the nature around. The design of B777 gives priority to reducing both the embodied and operational carbon footprint, through an assessment of the building’s impact throughout its life cycle. The structural materials are chosen with a view to their eventual reuse or recycling, so are also preferably easy to disassemble. The facade optimizes natural light and views while giving shade to reduce solar radiation, thus minimizing the use of energy for cooling. Completion of construction is programmed for 2027.