From the outside, the building on Route de Lausanne hardly suggests the headquarters of a private bank. And yet, that is precisely what Lombard Odier has achieved: the new headquarters surprises, fascinates, and impresses.

Over a decade ago, the oldest private bank in Geneva decided to unite its staff, then distributed across six sites in the city. On Wednesday, the building in Bellevue - just minutes away from Geneva and known as the site of the medieval Champ-du-Château castle - was officially inaugurated. 

Without corners: The interior of Lombard Odier’s new headquarters. (Image: zVg)

The choice of Bellevue is symbolic: Edmond Odier, an ancestor of today's Senior Managing Partner Patrick Odier, served as mayor of the town in the 1930s.

Openness, Curiosity, and Courage

The partners of Lombard Odier approached the task with respect. As Frédéric Rochat told finews.ch, «It’s the kind of move you make only once in a century.» At the same time, the partners sought to send a clear signal to clients, employees, and future generations.

A Statement for the Future: Exterior View. (Image: zVg)

The architecture competition was won by world-renowned Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron. «We quickly realized it was the right fit. The chemistry worked,» said Pierre de Meuron, adding that Lombard Odier showed «openness, curiosity, and courage».

A Breathtaking View

The parties met with great mutual respect, engaging in hours of discussions that often ventured into the philosophical,«reminding us of who we are and the values we stand for,» as Managing Partner Xavier Bonna put it. 

The Atrium Offers Plenty of Room to Marvel. (Image: zVg)

The result is a concave structure with no clear front or back, no corners inside, and an atrium designed to leave a lasting impression.

The transparent, open building, with its fully glazed façades, maximizes views of Le Grand Paysage — the basin of Lake Geneva, the Alpine panorama with Mont Blanc, and Geneva’s landmark Jet d’Eau. Through a canyon-like atrium with meeting rooms, daylight reaches even the deepest parts of the building.

Highlighting its Distinctiveness

Lombard Odier's new headquarters is a study in contrasts harmoniously resolved - innovation alongside tradition, transparency balanced with discretion, and nature meeting elegance. Together, they give Swiss private banking a renewed face.

From left: Xavier Bonna, Denis Pittet, Frédéric Rochat, Hubert Keller, Alexandre Meyer and Jean-Pascal Porcherot. (Image: zVg)

«Lombard Odier is a private bank, but we differ in how we are organized, how we work with our clients — and equally in how we interact internally with our employees,» said Xavier Bonna. 

And what did the building cost? What is known is this: the sale of five properties in Geneva and the 2018 divestment of the asset management business in Amsterdam brought in 125 million francs, part of which was allocated to the new headquarters. The remainder, however, remains shrouded in banking secrecy.