Building 774: open for business

In July 2012, the demolition of Building 936 on the Prévessin site marked the start of the Building 774 project. On 23 February, less than three years later, the new 3900 m2 building was handed over to the BE department.

 

The brand new Building 774.
(Credits: Francesco Soppelsa)

Located near to the CERN Control Centre, Building 774 contains offices, laboratories and meeting rooms, as well as a huge public area consisting of a 104-seat auditorium, a changing room/shower area in the basement and a pleasant cafeteria open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering a wide range of refreshments including hot meals at lunchtime. “There were a few twists and turns during the construction of this building, but it all turned out well in the end!" says Michael Poehler, a member of the GS-SE group and the technical coordinator of the project.

(Credits: Francesco Soppelsa)

The 120 occupants of the building have just moved into their brand new home, bringing all the members of the Controls group of the BE department into the same building for the first time: “The strategic location of Building 774 in relation to the CCC is a huge advantage for the members of the Controls group, who interact several times a day with the accelerator operators,” explains Eugenia Hatziangeli, group leader.

Thanks to its public areas and reserved parking for buses and coaches, Building 774 will also become a pivotal location for welcoming visitors and dignitaries to the Prévessin site. “We are currently making some final adjustments based on comments from the occupants. The official inauguration, which is planned for mid-May, will bring the project to a close,” says Pierre Charrue, a member of the BE-CO group and the project leader. “I’m happy to see that all our efforts over many months have resulted in a building that is as functional as it is attractive and that will, I hope, be appreciated by those who use it.”

by CERN Bulletin