“ Elevating the visibility of the Swiss Chocolate industry to new heights , it is built to seduce
visitors with the many charms of chocolate .
CHRIST & GANTENBEIN
Designed by Christ & Gantenbein , the Home of Chocolate parallels Lindt & Sprüngli ‘ s factory site ‘ s logic , history , and urban structure : A classically composed , industrial box , in dialogue with the surrounding factory buildings . The facade , consisting primarily of red brick , references its neighbors in an abstract reinterpretation based on a readymade industrial product that is manually grafted into a specific construction element . The south-eastern corner is cut out and interrupts the otherwise simple volume . Clad with white , glazed brick adorned with golden letters , this quadrant opens a public square right at the Lindt Home of Chocolate ‘ s entrance .
A vast atrium , 64 meters long , 15 meters high , and 13m wide , reveals both a dramatic void and the architectural order ‘ s elementary presence . A series of round load-bearing pillars and walls create a robust structure around which all activities are organized . The columns reveal a building full of movement ; stairs , elevators , walkways , and bridges produce spatial and experiential connectivity and communication , which is at the core of the Lindt Home of Chocolate , radically contrasting its almost calm exterior .
At first glance , what appears simple is actually an intelligently engineered building of multifaceted complexity ; a solid architectural form built to last , yet at the same time , built to withstand fluctuations through flexibility ; where resilience and robustness collaborate towards a multiplicity of potentially shifting applications . The Lindt Home of Chocolate ‘ s structural system is itself a hybrid , where aesthetic , functionality , and construction come together in a column-free volume with a load-bearing outer shell .
Lindt Home of Chocolate - Staircase Photo : © Walter Mair
Lindt Home of Chocolate - Front View Photo : © Walter Mair
Lindt Home of Chocolate - Atrium Photo : © Walter Mair
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