Unused Swiss Lot Transformed Into Glowing ECA-OAI Cube Office Building

An unused lot in Vevey, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/the-city-of-lucerne-turns-taking-out-the-trash-into-a-fun-game/" target="_blank">Switzerland</a> has been given new life as a glittery glass building complete with a lush rooftop garden. Designed by<a href="http://www.prsarch.ch/prs/" target="_blank"> Personeni Raffaele Scharer Architectes</a>, the new ECA-OAI Office Building boasts an airy façade and an elegant interior. The symmetrical building lights up at night, transforming into a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/illuminated-tables-and-planters-made-from-100-recycled-plastics/" target="_blank">glowing cube</a> amongst its industrial surroundings.

The building’s city block possessed a gaping hole- mainly used as a make-shift parking lot, but with no assigned purpose. PRS Achitects saw this void as an opportunity to make the block into something truly spectacular, but constructing a main hall and modern building that would stand out from the rest.

The five floor building, which occupies the once unused space, was capped off with a large patio and <a href="http://inhabitat.com/haunting-green-roofed-museum-in-palmiry-honors-polish-holocaust-victims/" target="_blank">green garden roof</a>. Using the juxtaposition of the buildings surrounding it, the green roof is “framed” by each, but without closing the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/philadelphia-plants-its-very-first-bus-stop-green-roof/" target="_blank">garden roof</a> off.

The roof oasis also provides sweeping panoramic views of the surrounding city and nearby mountains.

The glowing white interior can be viewed from the outside through a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/sustainable-and-twisted-turning-torso-sculptural-building-in-malmo-by-santiago-calatrava/" target="_blank">gridwork of identical square windows</a>, that stack together to form each of the building’s facades.

The smooth and sleek winding staircase can be viewed through an entire column made from windows, that stretches down one side of the building.

A curvaceous, undulating line is themed through out both the interior and exterior elements. Curved <a href="http://inhabitat.com/museo-abc-transforms-a-madrid-factory-with-glittering-mosaic-facade/" target="_blank">triangle skylights</a> flood the interiors with even more light, and match the shape of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/cloud-9s-incredible-inflatable-bubble-building-opens-in-barcelona/" target="_blank">curved interior glass walls</a>, that frame an inner courtyard. A uniform color theme of black, white and red makes the design simple, while emphasizing the openness created by the large glass windows through out.