Studying at HEAD – Genève means living and working in an urban environment, in an international city with strong connections to many leading cultural institutions. It means enjoying an exceptional learning and working environment in the heart of the city, comprising four buildings and featuring a library, a large auditorium, a film studio, a cafeteria, and workshops equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
This expansive campus gives HEAD – Genève the freedom and flexibility to develop its current and future teaching and research projects.
The lush green Parc Gustave & Léonard Hentsch is open to both students and the public. It complements this extensive arts and design complex, which is home to approximately 800 students from 40 different countries every day.
Nicknamed the “Red Building” or “The Cube,” Building H provides a stimulating environment for learning, creating, and exploring. It houses several of HEAD – Genève’s design departments and is home to the Bachelor’s programs in Interior Architecture, Visual Communication, and Illustration, as well as the Master’s programs in Interior Architecture, Installation Design, Visual Knowledge, and Media Design.
Designed to meet the specific needs of each discipline, its modern, versatile spaces foster collaboration, research, and innovation, giving students the opportunity to fully develop their practice.
The building’s ground floor hosts many of the school’s events, including fashion shows, ceremonies, and exhibitions of graduate work. The space is also regularly rented out for private events.
Located on the Charmilles industrial site since the 1910s and renovated in 1944 by architect Jean Erb, Building H (formerly known as Hippomène) was home for many years to the Tavaro factory and its Elna sewing machine assembly line. Painted red, this jewel of 20th-century industrial architecture in Geneva was completely renovated in 2006 to meet the needs of the HEAD.
This building, elevated on pilotis, houses the school’s administrative offices and reception areas, the library—with its extensive resources for research and learning—and the Institute for Research in Art and Design (IRAD).
Built between 1954 and 1956, Building E (originally bearing the Elna name) first served as Tavaro’s administrative headquarters and showroom, showcasing the company’s activities, particularly the production of Elna sewing machines. In 2005, the building was renovated to accommodate a private Geneva bank before being made available to HEAD in 2017. Designed by Geneva architect Georges Addor, the building draws inspiration from Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer and is an iconic example of the International Style of modernist architecture. It was designated a protected heritage site by the Office of Heritage and Historic Sites in 2012.
Nicknamed the “Blue Building,” Building A houses the Bachelor’s programs in Fine Arts and Film, as well as the Master’s programs Work.Master, TRANSforme. Art and Society, and CCC. Critical Curatorial Cybermedia – Curatorial and Research Practices.
A true creative hub, the building also houses specialized workshops for woodworking, metalworking, model-making, and prototyping, as well as facilities dedicated to image and sound, digital media, and photography. Designed to encourage creativity and critical thinking, these versatile spaces provide students with an ideal environment to experiment, learn, and innovate using state-of-the-art facilities.
Built in 1938, Building A (A for Arts) was designed by Jean Erb, the same architect who designed Building H. It housed the Hispano-Suiza automobile factory, founded in Barcelona in 1904 by a Geneva entrepreneur and a Spanish banker. The factory later shifted to arms manufacturing and then textiles, remaining active until 1985. An emblem of a new era in industrial architecture, the building began its transformation in 2017. After two additional floors were added, it was made available to HEAD in 2020.
This historic building, located near the train station, houses the Bachelor’s programs in Fashion Design and Jewelry and Accessory Design, as well as the Master’s program in Fashion and Accessory Design and the Watch Design Chair program. Alongside its theoretical courses, the building features specialized workshops for jewelry, textiles, and contemporary ceramics, including CERCCO, the Center for Experimentation and Production in Contemporary Ceramics. These facilities are equipped to meet students’ needs and support their creativity. A true space for experimentation, the building brings together traditional craftsmanship and modernity.
Building D (D for Design) connects HEAD – Genève to a history spanning nearly three centuries, beginning in 1748 with the founding of the Geneva School of Drawing. Designed by architects Henri Bourrit and Jacques Simmler, the building was constructed in 1878 on Boulevard James-Fazy. It formerly housed the School of Industrial Arts, whose mission was to provide craftspeople with the professional education that apprenticeships alone could not offer. An inscription on the façade still lists the disciplines taught at the time: sculpture, goldsmithing, ceramics, and bronze work.