Two separate worlds, yet with incredible affinities of values and vision. On the one hand Alias, the historic brand of design Made in Italy; on the other, Scott Sports, a leading Swiss brand in the field of innovation for the sports sector. What do they have in common? Experimentation, production capacity, creativity, lightness and technology. These are the assets on which Alias has built its identity, ever since its founding in 1979, and on which it has organized its research on versatile, sustainable and effective design. Themes addressed by the Swiss company for over 60 years, in the development of products for cycling, motorcycling, winter sports and running.

This symbiosis of values is fully expressed in the partnership that already began during Milano Design Week – when the design company and the Swiss firm created a striking installation in the seven windows of the Swiss Corner in Milan – and has now culminated in the development of the interior design of the new Scott Sports headquarters at Givisiez, Switzerland.

Scott Sports - Photo © Simon Ricklin

The architectural design is by the firm IttenBrechbühl Architects, who have imagined the new seven-story volume around a “central full-height atrium, accessed by means of a striking complex of stairs that flows from the entrance and leads, beyond the arched wall, to the auditorium.”
The futuristic building can contain 600 people and all the divisions of the group (BikeWinterMoto and Running), as well as functioning as an organizational center for the other Scott brands: Syncros, Bergamont, Bold Cycles, Avanti, Malvern Star, Dolomite, Powderhorn, Bach, Lizard and Outdoor Research.

Conference room by Alias, Scott Sports - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland

A multiplicity of uses, sustained and enhanced by the open architectural set-up: on the ground level, the various public areas branch out from the central space – cafeteria, cafe and restaurant – separated by the frontal showroom and with views of the surroundings, where the new bikes are tested. On the upper levels, 50 meeting rooms alternate with spaces for informal gatherings and offices, “a mixture of open spaces and focal points, in a modular system that allows for future modifications.” The facility also includes a garage for bicycles, fitness areas and an auditorium. 

On the outside, the dynamic sunscreen system and the high-tech façade make the intense activity inside visible, while also revealing the panorama of the furnishings, variegated yet discreet in its purity, all bearing the Alias signature. 

 

The company has perfectly embraced the multiplicity and dynamism of the concept in this project, with a vast selection of furnishings deployed in every context with an ideal balance of comfort and image. 

 

At the entrance, visitors are greeted by a modular composition of upholstered furniture, sinuous and rounded, custom-made by reprising the motif of vertical slats of the walls of the lobby, with their forceful geometric lines and games of light and shadow. 

 

From this point, a constellation of products are positioned in the common areas: in the café, the iconic Biplane tables by Alberto Meda (featuring a game of lines, corners and geometric forms of the base) and the Slim Chair Wood seating with polypropylene shells by Pearson Lloyd. In the restaurant, the protagonists are the FrameTables and the BigFrame seats: slender aluminium structures that bring particular lightness, without overlooking the need for exceptional strength. 

Restaurant by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Restaurant by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Coffee bar by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Restaurant by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Restaurant by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Coffee bar by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
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Lounge by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Lounge by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Lounge by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Lounge by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Lounge by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Lounge by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
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Continuing to the levels above, the lounge area is the realm of the AluZen upholstered furniture collection by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba, seen in different modular configurations that represent an invitation to gather and relax; these items are accompanied by various coffee tables, including the Saen xs project by Gabriele & Oscar Buratti, with a cement base.

There are also corner lounges enhanced by the famous Gran Kobi Essentiel chairs designed by Patrick Norguet, with a particular accent on comfort (winners of the German Design Award 2019), accompanied by another instance of the Biplane tables. 

 

In the countless meeting rooms, Alias has focused on the essential functional quality of the Slim Conference seating by the British duo PearsonLloyd, combined with the Landscape table by Simon Pengelly; and on the geometric rigor of the Tec tables by Alfredo Häberli, perfectly in tune with the MeetingFrame+ seats in the focus rooms. 

Meeting room by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Meeting room by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Meeting room by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Meeting room by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Meeting room by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Meeting room by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Meeting room by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
Meeting room by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin
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Office by Alias, Scott Sports, Givisiez, Switzerland - Photo © Simon Ricklin

Finally, in the offices, where the need for versatility, comfort and efficiency is more pronounced, Alias has supplied the RollingFrame+ seating on wheels and the Landscape Essential tables, all the way to the Biplane High tables with a height of 110 cm, designed by Alberto Meda, in offices that require more dynamic functions. 

Photo © Simon Ricklin