Rapin Saiz Architectes . photos: © Joël Tettamanti
The Bosquets buildings were constructed in successive stages until 1964. Located in Vevey, on the site of the Peter company, inventor of milk chocolate, they house the workshops and laboratories of Produits Dentaires SA, founded in 1940.
The 7-storey main building and its annex are made of generously dimensioned reinforced concrete slabs and pillars. Facades in raw aluminum, glass and fiber cement are inserted between the pillars.
The entire project will involve refurbishing the main building, containing workshops and laboratories, and converting and elevating the annex building into office spaces. It was this conversion that was carried out in the 1st construction phase.
Following the reinforcement of the existing foundations of the annex, the latter was raised by two storeys, at first independent of the main building, but designed to deform and connect at the upper levels to the main production building.
By covering the structure, the new envelope, made of raw aluminum and glass, considerably alters the building’s original expression. This change, necessary to respond to issues of energy efficiency and comfort, is worked into its rhythms as a link between the old building and the new, changing district.
The main entrance and stairwell are reversed. Now facing west, the building takes up its address on the chaussée de la Guinguette, thus participating in the evolution of the former industrial street, which is gradually being transformed into a pedestrian walkway. This now gives access to a mixed-use district of housing, offices and industry.
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