WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/INF/171 
1 March 2011  
 
(11-1007) 
  
  
 
RENOVATION AND CONSTRUCTION WORKS  
AT THE CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD 
 
Access Restrictions
 
 
 
 The following circular from the Constructi on Project Committee (CPC) contains important 
information for delegations on the building proj ects in the Centre William Rappard (CWR).  
 
 Delegations are kindly requested to take note  of the changes to building access, parking 
areas and conduct of meetings in the CWR caused by the construction projects. Delegations are 
further asked to ensure that delegates who frequent the WTO premises are aware of the inconvenience these activities will entail.   
 This information circular provides an overview of progress on the building projects and 
outlines the restrictions on access and moveme nt of persons and vehicles at the CWR 
 
I. PROGRESS REPORT ON THE BUILDING AND PARKING 
 The three projects in the CWR – Renovation
, Intra-muros  (works in the two courtyards) and 
Extra-muros  (new building) are advancing according to plan. In addition, the Security Perimeter 
project has entered a new phase, with the publication of the results of the architectural competition. 
  
Renovation  
  All offices in the South Wing have now been re novated.  Divisions which formerly occupied 
offices in the North Wing have moved to the South Wing.   
 Renovation of the North wing offices started in  February 2011 and will continue until mid-
2012.  Delegations will be informed in due course of the moves of the Office of the Director-General 
and the Appellate Body Secretariat, as well as closure of  Meeting Rooms W, A, B, C, D, X, D and E.   
  Delegations are kindly advised that  Room F
 is no longer available due to  the works in the 
North Courtyard. 
 Intra-Muros
 
  Construction of the conference centre in the So uth Courtyard is advancing according to plan 
and will be open for use by Delegations in  September 2011 . This flexible conference centre will 
offer the possibility of different configurations  depending on the size and requirements of the 
meetings and will be equipped with  new furniture, a state-of-the art sound system and interpretation 
facilities, and a delegates' lounge.  WT/INF/171 
Page 2  
 
  Extra-muros
 
  Following the approval by the Swiss Parliament  of a loan for the construction of the new 
building and a grant for its underground car park, as  well as the issuance of building permits by the 
Geneva Cantonal authorities, cons truction of the new building has st arted. The first phase of these 
works is the demolition of the Villa (formerly a ga rage for WTO official vehicles and FIPOI offices) 
and excavation of the underground car park. The excavation works, which will last until July 2011, will entail a sharp increase in traffic of heavy vehicles at the CWR.    The heavy traffic envisaged around the CW R will cause additional inconvenience for 
delegations accessing the CWR, and delegates are  kindly requested to take this into account when 
planning their commuting time to meetings in the WTO. 
 
Security Perimeter
 
 
 An architectural competition for the design of a future security perimeter around the CWR 
was launched in 2009. The jury which examined th e various proposals reached a unanimous decision 
on a project designed by the Oxalis-Behnisch consor tium. This project is being undertaken by the 
FIPOI, in co-operation with the WTO Secretar iat. Its construction will start in late 2011. 
 
II. RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS AND MOVEMENT AT THE CWR 
Restrictions on access to the site  
 
 As indicated above, delegations are advised that access to the CWR by car is currently 
very difficult. As no parking is available at th e CWR, delegates should take this into account 
when planning their commute to the WTO. 
 
Restrictions on movement within the CWR  
  Delegations are kindly requested to note the restrictions in access between the South and the 
North wings of the CWR. These restrictions will apply from now until mid-September 2011.  Security staff in the CWR will be able to k eep delegates updated on available access. 
 
Restrictions on availability of meeting room s and need to use off-site meeting rooms
 
  As a result of the advancement in works in the CWR, there will be limitations on the number 
of meeting rooms available for delegations. The S ecretariat is in contact with the WMO and the 
CICG, in order to secure meeting rooms on their premises. As noted earlier, Room F has been closed 
until further notice. 
 
 Rooms W, A, B, C, D and E continue to be available to delegations, but might suffer from 
disruptions due to noise, vibration and dust.  Th ese meeting rooms will eventually be closed for 
renovation. Delegations will be kept  informed of their availability. 
 
 The CPC regrets this inconvenience and is tryi ng to minimize the impact on meeting rooms to 
the extent possible. The Secretariat Conference O ffice will continue to try to accommodate requests 
for meeting rooms by delegations w ithin the constraints outlined above. 
 
Disturbance (noise, vibration, dust) caused by  commencement of works in North courtyard
 
   As the construction works start in the North courtyard, which will be transformed into an 
Atrium and open to delegates and staff in the course of 2012, delegates and WTO staff will be  WT/INF/171 
 Page 3 
 
 
  affected by noise, vibrations and dust. This  will be  felt particularly in the main hallway of the CWR, 
as well as in the Salle des Pas Perdus, the coffee shop and in meeting rooms W, A, B, C, D and X. Meeting rooms D and E should initially be  less exposed to such disturbance. 
 Parking
 
 
 Parking at the CWR is no longer possible. Delegates are kindly requested to use the Sécheron car park.   The Sécheron car park will be available to the WTO (Delegates and Staff) until the end of 
2011. As of 2012, when the construction of the JTI headquarters is due to start in that area, WTO 
delegates and Staff will be able to park in a new Park-and-Ride (P+R) bu ilding being constructed 
adjacent to the bridge over the rail tracks on Avenue de France.    The WTO is studying the possibility of estab lishing a shuttle service between that area and 
the CWR in peak hours. A 400-place underground car pa rk next to the new JTI building in Sécheron 
will be available to Delegations and Staff as of 2014.   Although the drop-off zone in front of the CWR main entrance is still operational, this area 
has been restricted due to the renovation work on the CWR building. This will further complicate 
access to and departure from the WTO.  Parking, even temporary, next to the Conference Room and 
the crèche is no longer available. Attention is also drawn to the danger to pedestrians, cyclists and 
other road users of illegal parking on the pavements outside the main CWR gates. 
 
 Delegations are kindly requested to plan their access to the CWR with the above 
restrictions in mind. It is highly recommended that delegates use public transport to the CWR, 
especially as of early 2012. 
  
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