A new building for the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Business and Economics

A new Basel-Countryside campus for the University of Basel’s Faculty of Law and Faculty of Business and Economics is set to be established in the Dreispitz district, situated in Münchenstein.

Initially, Liestal, Allschwil, and Muttenz were considered for the site. However, in 2018 both Basel governments opted for the Basel-Countryside part of the Dreispitz district. By April 2022, the roles were clarified: Basel-Countryside, in its role as a sponsor of the university, is leading the further planning and will act as the investor, signifying a strategic shift. Previously, a private investor was to develop the area and rent the buildings to the university. Now, Basel-Countryside, in collaboration with the local municipality of Münchenstein, the Christoph Merian Foundation (CMS) as the landowner, and Swiss Prime Site Immobilien AG as a participating leaseholder, is spearheading the planning discussions. Whether the canton will also take on the role of the developer remains undecided.

In 2021, an urban planning study contract was issued for developing the new university site. The brief sought designs for an educational campus with cohesive green spaces, where additional nonuniversity functions such as dining, commerce, housing, and childcare could also be accommodated. In May 2022, a jury chaired by Pierre de Meuron recommended following up on the proposals by Grafton Architects from Dublin and Blaser Architects from Basel. The announcement emphasized that the lead architects from Ireland, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, have extensive experience with university buildings. The plan is for the new building to be ready for occupancy by 2030, at which point the two faculties will relocate from their current location near the train station to the Dreispitz district.