The start of the new millennium kicked off a flurry of development and construction work at this site where materials warehouses, logistics, duty-free warehouses, trade and industry once dominated the face of the city and were connected to the SBB rail network. The new School of Business (HSW) of the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) is being built on Reinacherstrasse, where it is surrounded by two industrial and commercial buildings that are typical of the Dreispitz site.

Allreal won the global solution competition together with architecture firm E2A in 2017. While the start of construction was delayed due to various objections, Allreal was able to begin working in spring 2024 and has made an enormous amount of progress in the past 12 months.

Quality and speed thanks to modular construction

The shell was nearly complete by the end of March 2025 and the final concrete elements for the fourth floor are currently being installed. “In future, the building will be connected via two cores, which we’ll cast using in-situ concrete due to the complex geometry involved,” explains Allreal Site Manager Mario Hoppe, who is responsible on site for ensuring that the work and contractors are seamlessly coordinated. “For the areas at the front of the building along Reinacherstrasse and Bordeaux-Strasse as well as for the area between the two building cores, on the other hand, we’re using a modular approach,” says Mario Hoppe.

Element (or prefab) construction is the name used when prefabricated modules are delivered and then assembled on site with pinpoint accuracy. This approach is reminiscent of traditional construction methods, particularly timber construction. Pillars, girders and even ceiling elements including reinforcement are brought into the right position by the teams on site. “That calls for a high level of precision,” explains Hoppe. “Positioning the girders correctly – with some weighing up to 20 tonnes – is a precision job. A matter of millimetres for these enormous components.” The skeleton formed by the large girders is clearly visible in the two halls at the front and back of the building. These elements are also pre-tensioned after installation for even greater load-bearing capacity. “Once they’ve been set, the elements are then combined with a concrete overlay to additionally reinforce the building,” explains Hoppe.

The advantages of this design are obvious: Since significantly less formwork is required on site and ready-made components are delivered, much less time is required for the shell’s construction. Added to that is the high quality of the prefabricated elements, since industrial production means they are always produced under the same conditions. This eliminates climatic influences like low temperatures, which can make working with in-situ concrete considerably more difficult or even impossible in winter. It also has a correspondingly positive effect on the schedule. That works well with the ambitious overall timetable set by the School of Business in Basel. 20 months are available for execution, commissioning and the acceptance procedure. “We decided to use the element construction method for the shell not only because of its economic advantages, but also because of this timeline,” says Mario Hoppe.

Sustainable building with SNBS Gold certificate

Building systems installation work is in full swing in the basement, while the finishing touches on the fifth floor – which will be used for the building systems – will be completed by mid-May. A photovoltaic system will be installed on the building as soon as the roof surfaces have been finished. “The building’s indoor climate uses not only self-generated electricity, but also relies largely on waste heat from the building itself,” says Hoppe. Thanks in part to these measures, the new educational facility will meet the requirements of the SNBS Gold sustainability label.

Work to install the façade and complete the interior spaces from the ground floor up have been underway since the start of March. By next summer, Reinacherstrasse will boast classrooms and group rooms, offices for the employees of the various institutes, as well as open-plan workspaces and lounges where people can exchange ideas. A food service area will also be available to users, while the new School of Business will also have two terraces offering attractive outdoor spaces. Around 1,200 students and a good 150 employees will fill the building with life from September 2026 onward.