Lombard Odier in Bellevue: Opening a New Chapter withspg partner
The inauguration of the new Lombard Odier Group headquarters in Bellevue marks a major milestone in Geneva’s banking landscape. By the end of October, more than 2,000 employees will move into this building designed by Herzog & de Meuron, a symbol of a break from traditional banking architecture and a clear openness to the future.
While the choice of this lakeside location with views of Mont Blanc may seem obvious today, it was the result of a demanding process, carried out with method and conviction.
Land Search: A Structured and Ambitious Approach
spg partner had the honor of assisting Lombard Odier in finding the land for this iconic headquarters. From the start of the project, our team built a long list of potential sites, later refined into a short list to retain only the most strategic locations.
Negotiations were conducted in parallel to offer our client maximum options and leverage in their decision-making. This rigorous approach enabled the acquisition of the Bellevue site in 2016—a visionary choice that today opens new opportunities for one of Geneva’s most prestigious banks.
Financing: A Structuring Sale & Leaseback Operation
The success of this project also lies in its financing model. As Denis Pittet, Managing Partner at Lombard Odier, emphasized, the sale of the bank’s historic real estate portfolio largely financed the Bellevue construction.
spg partner played a key role in this decisive phase by orchestrating the sale of this unique portfolio through a sale & leaseback transaction. This approach maximized the valuation of the historic assets while ensuring continuity of banking operations until the move to the new headquarters.
Since then, this mandate has been part of a series of high-profile transactions worth several hundred million francs, conducted by spg partner on behalf of institutions such as Merck Serono, Credit Suisse, SGS, and the Zurich Stock Exchange. These references have established spg partner as a recognized specialist in large-volume transactions in Switzerland.
Recognized Expertise in Large-Scale Transactions
These two mandates—land acquisition and large-scale sale & leaseback structuring—perfectly illustrate spg partner’s expertise.
“This project exemplifies our know-how: supporting our clients over the long term, from land search to structured financing, while providing value-creating solutions,” emphasizes Grégory Grobon , CEO of spg partner. “We are proud to have contributed to this new chapter in Lombard Odier’s history and, more broadly, to a project that leaves a mark on Geneva.”
“The sale of Lombard Odier’s historic real estate, executed as a sale & leaseback, was a landmark transaction on the Geneva market,” adds Sandra Claudia Andres , Head of Capital Markets at spg partner. “It illustrates our ability to structure complex, large-scale operations and meet the specific needs of leading financial institutions.”
An Iconic Project for Geneva
With its new headquarters, Lombard Odier is writing a new chapter in its 200-year history. For spg partner, this project demonstrates the value we bring to our clients: turning strategic vision into sustainable real estate reality.
In Geneva and beyond, our mission remains the same: leveraging our expertise for complex, value-creating transactions.
