Audemars Piguet's new manufacturing site, whose construction work started in 2018 and ended in spring 2021, consists of a 111,945 square feet one-story building spread on several split levels that have been adapted to the topography and to suit industrial flows.
The new building seamlessly integrates the relief of the valley and draws inspiration from the surrounding meadows, boglands, and forests. It combines employees’ well-being and comfort, while giving prominence to natural light and new technologies.
Designed by architectural firm Kunik de Morsier, the building features large bay windows made of SageGlass, a cost, and energy-efficient electrochromic glass that tints automatically depending on natural light. In addition to filling each workshop with light, this type of glass ensures thermal regulation all year long and offers a full view of the surrounding landscape. This “light architecture” has been developed in collaboration with Marilyne Andersen, Professor of Sustainable Construction Techniques at the EPFL.
The investment is estimated at CHF 55 million. The workshops, which are distributed around a central piazza designed to encourage exchanges between the teams, already accommodate 180 employees. In the longer term, the new building could accommodate up to 250 employees.
Further strengthening its roots within the canton of Neuchâtel, Audemars Piguet has also supported the development of a new bus TransN line in collaboration with the Neuhcâtel public transports, connecting Le Locle’s city center to the Saignoles industrial zone, which now has its dedicated stop.
