The newly constructed Rosental Haus 6 for the Department of Chemistry

To make way for new construction to serve university needs on the Schällemätteli site, nestled between Pestalozzistrasse, Spitalstrasse, St. Johanns-Ring, and Klingelbergstrasse, a temporary solution is required for the Department of Chemistry. In response, the university fully refurbished building 1096 at a cost of around 30 million Swiss francs. Since 2018, this building has accommodated about a third of the Department of Chemistry.

To temporarily house the rest of the Chemistry Department’s professorships, Immobilien Basel-Stadt (IBS) launched an architectural competition in 2021. Rosental Haus 6 is slated to be occupied by the university from 2029. Its design allows for future rental to third parties by IBS on a floor-by-floor basis.

The planned new lab building, Rosental Haus 6, is poised to play a pivotal role in transforming Basel’s oldest surviving site for the chemical industry into a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood. This gradual opening aims to “refresh and transform this centrally located, easily accessible location, making it suitable for work, research, and education, as well as residential uses and community-building.”