Campus in Biel/Bienne celebrates laying of foundation stone
Construction work on the Biel/Bienne campus began with the laying of the foundation stone on 6 May. the new education and research centre of the Bern University of Applied Sciences is due to be completed in 2028. The federal government, canton and a private partner are investing CHF 400 million in the project.
On 6 May, the foundation stone was laid for the new Biel/Bienne campus of Bern University of Applied Sciences on the former Feldschlösschen site near Biel railway station. An education and research centre for around 2,350 students and lecturers is to be built here by 2028, the Canton of Bern ‘s Department of Construction and Transport announced in a press release. Together with the federal government and a private partner, the Canton of Bern is raising around CHF 400 million for the construction of the new campus.
The Bern University of Applied Sciences will unite its Departments of Engineering and Information Technology as well as Architecture, Wood and Construction at the Biel/Bienne campus. According to the press release, the open architecture of the new site will promote interdisciplinary exchange and creative collaboration. The campus is designed as a cloverleaf of three building wings around a common centre.
“An inspiring environment is being created here that focuses on openness, interdisciplinarity and high standards of infrastructure and quality,” said Cantonal Councillor Christoph Neuhaus, Director of Construction and Transport of the Canton of Bern, in the press release. “The new campus is being built as a modern timber construction – a project that stands for sustainable, climate-friendly construction.” Glenda Gonzalez Bassi, Mayor of Biel/Bienne, sees the future campus “as a central location for the development of our region, for the education of our young generation and for attracting the talent that our economy needs now more than ever.”