New building in Basel ready for occupancy in the second half of 2022
ETH Zurich’s Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering has been operational in Basel since 2007. The move into the new building on the Schällemätteli site is a long-awaited step that will bring together all the department’s research groups under one roof and in close proximity to various important life sciences partners. Due to construction delays, the opening of the new building has been postponed to the second half of 2022.
The Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE) is very much looking forward to its new home on the Schällemätteli site. The department will be able to move into its new premises, in the immediate vicinity of the University of Basel, University Hospital Basel and University Children’s Hospital Basel, next year. However, the moving date has been delayed – the handover of the building by the general contractor to ETH Zurich, originally scheduled for the end of 2021, cannot take place until next year due to certain outstanding structural measures. This means that the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering will have to wait until the second half of 2022 before it can move in. Teaching should be able to start in the building, which was planned by Nickl & Partner, in 2023.
The start of operations in the new building is an important step in anchoring the department in Basel for the long term and will allow ETH Zurich to further strengthen the two strategic focus areas of life sciences and medicine. With its focus on molecular systems and bioengineering, the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering makes a valuable contribution to translational medicine by building a bridge between basic and applied research.
Thanks to the excellent collaboration with local partners, the department will be able to continue its research and teaching activities in its current premises on the Rosental site until the move. Once established in the new building, the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering will be able to further expand its teaching and extend the range of courses on offer. The department currently has 200 Master’s students and about 180 doctoral students. The new building will also enable an increase in the capacity of the scientific facilities, including the operation of a new facility in the field of applied research. ETH Zurich is committed to ensuring that the building can be completed as quickly as possible and is in close contact with the general contractor.
Key work that needs to be done over the coming months includes the completion of building services systems and the underground logistics tunnel, which in future will allow centralised deliveries to buildings throughout the site. Externally, upcoming work on the surrounding area will shape the building’s appearance.