Official opening of the new Biozentrum building
The University of Basel’s impressive new Biozentrum building celebrated its official opening on Tuesday in the space of its large atrium. Research in the life sciences in the Basel region will also benefit from its state-of-the-art infrastructure and international reputation.
21 September 2021
The Biozentrum is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021. To properly mark the occasion, the 73-meter-high new building was dedicated on Tuesday. Eight years after breaking ground and right on time for the beginning of the fall semester, the University of Basel and sponsoring cantons of Basel-Landschaft and Basel-Stadt have completed the largest building construction project in their history.
Around 150 guests from the areas of politics, science and business attended the dedication ceremony, including government councilors Monica Gschwind and Dr. Conradin Cramer as well as numerous members of parliament from the two sponsoring cantons.
“This building is a symbol of the confidence and trust we place in the sciences,” said Professor Andrea Schenker-Wicki, President of the University of Basel, in a video message. “It symbolizes our common will to invest in and actively shape our future.”
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Councillor Monica Gschwind at the opening. (Photo: University of Basel, Dominik Plüss)link.zoom -
The opening of the new building coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Biozentrum. (Photo: University of Basel, Dominik Plüss)link.zoom -
Councillor Dr. Conradin Cramer and Prof. Dr. Silvia Arber in one of the labs. (Photo: University of Basel, Dominik Plüss)link.zoom -
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Hiller explains the research facilities to the guests. (Photo: University of Basel, Dominik Plüss)link.zoom -
The view from the upper floors is breathtaking. (Photo: University of Basel, Dominik Plüss) Government Councillor Monica Gschwind at the opening. (Photo: University of Basel, Dominik Plüss)link.zoom -
University Council President Dr. Beat Oberlin, Biozentrum Director Prof. Dr. Alex Schier together with Monica Gschwind and Dr. Conradin Cramer from the governments of the two sponsoring cantons are pleased about the completion of the building. (Photo: University of Basel, Dominik Plüss)link.zoom
The new Biozentrum will be the place of work for 32 research groups consisting of around 400 academics and scientists from over 45 different countries. They will have access to individually designed laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, enabling them to work on research into fundamental biological questions.
Professor Alex Schier, Director of the Biozentrum, is delighted: “The move into our new cutting-edge home is a milestone for us. Thanks to the state-of-the-art infrastructure, we will remain competitive on the academic stage and can attract the world’s best scientists to Basel.”
A research building ready for the future
The new Biozentrum building is a beacon for life sciences research and will bolster the University of Basel’s international reputation as a successful research university. At the same time, emerging talent will be trained for the region’s Life Sciences Cluster, one of the most significant employers in the region.
Designed by Ilg Santer Architekten, the high-rise laboratory has 16 above-ground and three underground levels. With 23,400 square meters of floorspace, it includes research institutes as well as lecture halls and seminar rooms for up to 900 students and the University of Basel’s IT Services department.
Further information
Matthias Geering, University of Basel, Head of Communications & Marketing, phone: +41 61 207 35 75, mobile: +41 79 269 70 71, email: matthias.geering@unibas.ch
