| ROLEX LEARNING CENTER (RLC) at the EPFL |
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Built on the campus of EPFL Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, The Rolex Learning Center designed by the internationally acclaimed Japanese architectural practice, SANAA, opened on 22 February and was inaugurated on May 27th, 2010. Click here to see a YouTube video. 4:18 Click here to read the Swisster article on the opening of the EPFL Rolex Learning Center
According to EPFL President, Patrick Aebischer, “Scientific inspiration almost always comes from unexpected encounters that break down the boundaries between disciplines”. This vision inspired the inimitable Rolex Learning Centre, which opened in February and is now the flagship of the EPFL campus. It has replaced a myriad of departmental libraries and given rise to a forum in which many different fields of learning can exchange knowledge freely and easily. Under Professor Aebischer, the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne) aims to become the best institute of technology in the world. It is already ranked first in Europe for Engineering, Technology and Computer Sciences, alongside Cambridge University. Cambridge was founded in 1209, when a group of dissenting scholars took a clump of Oxford earth and transplanted it to form the second oldest campus in England. The EPFL, by contrast, moved to its present campus in 1968, and has closed the gap on Cambridge pretty quickly. Leman Events arranged a guided tour of the Rolex Learning Centre earlier this week. It was captivating to discover the ‘back story’ of how Japanese design innovation (architects SANAA) combined with Swiss precision engineering (Losinger Construction) to produce a building that defies conventional physics, and invites social interaction into the process of learning. This floor is made from two amorphous shells, a smaller one with 4 arches of about 35m in length, and a bigger one with 7 arches that range from 55m to 90m in length. These are kept suspended by 70 underground cables which act like a bow and arrow aiming into the sky: the tension in the underground cable is like the drawn bow-string that forces the bow to stiffen outwards – keeping the arches flexed above the ground. To build this structure, over five thousand box-shaped moulds were designed and laser-cut in Japan, then reassembled (using GPS positioning) in their rightful place on the reinforced steel spine, which was temporarily suspended in place on a hydraulic platform that mirrored the future shape. Over three days, the boxes were filled with concrete (with specific flow properties that were designed by Holcim). Once completely set, the hydraulic supports were simultaneously lowered and the superstructure, like a fine belladonna, held its ballerina poise to great applause. Beyond architectural fascination, we at BusNet have a particular interest whether this seamless network of slopes and terraces will lead to a dynamic interaction between students who are free to choose where they go and how they collaborate. In many ways it represents an emblem of the bridge-building, boundary spanning role we see for ourselves in helping business professionals create their knowledge networks. We watch with interest. Since this magnificent centre is open to the EPFL, Unil and the general public we hope you will join us in finding out. James Cullinan and Andrea Lung
THE ROLEX LEARNING CENTER
542.0801
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