Real estate Federal government plans new high-security laboratory in Mittelhäusern

The high-security laboratory of the Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI) in Mittelhäusern (municipality of Köniz) is to be rebuilt. The Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics (BBL) has commissioned a study for the development of the site.

The existing high-security facility has to be replaced due to its age, the FOBL announced. It is not possible to renovate the existing facility, as crisis preparedness must be guaranteed at all times. A new building is therefore needed on the site before the existing laboratory can be decommissioned.

Highly contagious viral animal diseases are researched at the IVI. In 2017, the Federal Assembly allocated CHF 35.2 million to renovate the laboratory and expand the administrative area.

Most of this work has now been completed, as Hanspeter Winkler, Head of Project Management at the FOBL, told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Tuesday. The construction loan is expected to amount to 25 million francs.

A long road ahead

Now it's time for the next step. The study contract procedure is at the beginning of a process that is estimated to take a decade and at the end of which the new building should be completed. According to Winkler, a number of steps still need to be taken before then, as well as a credit decision of an as yet unknown amount by the Federal Assembly.

In order for the construction project to be realized, the basic building regulations must also be partially amended. The municipality of Köniz is responsible for this and will initiate the necessary planning law steps, according to the FOBL.

The study commission process is due to be completed in December 2025. A winning project should then be available for further development.

SDA