Known as the Centre William Rappard (CWR) since 1977, the building has housed the WTO’s headquarters since 1995. The WTO has set itself the objective of pursuing its development on this site, upgrading existing equipment both from a technical and a representative point of view, and building an extension to meet all of its needs. Candidates must take account of the site and the existing building when preparing their projects, which must cover the following:

- An extension of the CWR providing at least 300 work places (gross area of 11,000 to 13,000 m²);
- an underground car park with 200 places.

The WTO is aiming for a project which from the point of view of urban planning, architecture and functionality is well adapted to the site and incorporates current environmental solutions. The candidates are expected to propose economic solutions with respect to operating and maintenance costs, and architectural and technical concepts that contribute to protecting the environment and respect sustainable development criteria.

In addition to construction cost reliability, the competition will also focus on the integration of the building into its surroundings, architectural expression, functionality and accessibility.

http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/cwr_e/extension_e.htm