School building School site on Bern's Schänzlihalde is being renovated
The canton of Bern is renovating the ageing school site on the Schänzlihalde in Bern. The striking building was built over 50 years ago for the former School of Arts and Crafts. The renovation work began on Monday and will take around three years.
12.08.2024, 09:58
SDA
The building complex will play a central role in school space planning in the coming years. After its renovation, it will initially serve as a replacement location for the Kirchenfeld and Neufeld grammar schools, which are themselves being renovated.
From 2027, the Neufeld grammar school will first move temporarily to Schänzlihalde 31, followed four years later by the Kirchenfeld grammar school, as announced by the cantonal building department on Monday.
The previous user of the building, the School of Design, has moved to Bernapark in Stettlen and will remain there for at least ten years. School operations at the Bernapark campus began as planned after the summer vacation, as the canton also announced.
The building on Schänzlihalde was designed by architect Willy Pfister in the 1960s and is a striking landmark in Bern's cityscape. It is listed in the inventory of listed buildings as an object worthy of preservation. It was last extended in 1988.
The canton estimates the costs for the renovation now underway at around 75 million francs.
