Novartis: Long-term redevelopment of Novartis' St. Johann site

07-Jun-2001

Novartis today announced that initial work on the redevelopment of the company's St. Johann site is to begin in the next few months. The site, which is Novartis' corporate headquarters, is to become more attractive, with modernized infrastructure and more green spaces, and is to be transformed from a production center into a knowledge site, where the primary emphasis is on research activities and international corporate functions.

Novartis has commissioned Professor Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani, an internationally renowned architect and Head of the Department of Architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, for the overall planning of the St. Johann site. Work on drafts was started at the beginning of the year, and an outline has now been completed. In his outline, Professor Lampugnani has developed the idea of a "campus of knowledge". Accordingly, new buildings, roads, and green spaces will be laid out to suit the needs of Novartis associates and also create meeting-places.

Daniel Vasella, Chairman and CEO of Novartis AG commented: "Research now accounts for a greater proportion of Novartis' activities in Basel, while production is increasingly being moved to out-of-town locations. We would like these changes to be reflected in the design of our site, and this project should create a congenial and attractive workplace with the character of a campus; it is to be an inviting place for our associates and one that fittingly represents our company."

Barbara Schneider, Head of the Cantonal Government and of the Construction Department, said: "The Government of Basel-Stadt welcomes the long-term conversion and expansion of Novartis' headquarters at St. Johann into a 'center of knowledge' and is prepared to contribute to the development of the surrounding area, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of the St. Johann neighborhood as an important element of this urban redevelopment program. The projects planned by Novartis and work on the 'Nord-Tangente' expressway, scheduled for completion in the next few years, can be simultaneously coordinated and harmonized by the cantonal authorities."

The Novartis projects are conceived of as a long-term undertaking, involving not only architectural and landscaping, but also functional and traffic-planning aspects. A number of changes will be implemented over the next few years. As a first step, the precincts of the company's headquarters will be redesigned; plans have been prepared by the landscaping expert Peter Walker. Within the St. Johann site, a number of roadways will also be turned into green spaces. A new urgently required office building will be constructed, and the main entrance to Novartis will be moved.

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