Bern Poor statics: future administrative headquarters in Tavannes cordoned off

The former "Tavannes Machines" factory building, the future cantonal administrative headquarters in Tavannes in the canton of Bern-Jura, is in a worse condition than expected. The building has been completely closed for safety reasons due to its inadequate load-bearing structure.

This was announced by the canton of Bern on Friday. On Thursday, the Bernese Jura-Seeland regional court issued a temporary ban on access to the building.

According to the press release, a company is currently renting a part of "Tavannes Machines". This company must leave the premises immediately, the press release stated. The canton of Bern will support it in finding a solution as quickly as possible.

At the beginning of July 2024, the Canton of Bern announced that the conversion of the building would take several months longer than planned due to structural issues. It has now announced that the planned phased renovation is not possible. The supporting structure of the north and south wings would have to be renovated at the same time, according to the press release.

The Canton of Bern intends to start the relevant work as soon as conditions allow, it announced. For the administrative staff, the poor condition of the building means that they will not be able to move into the "Tavannes Machines" immediately, but will have to move into temporary accommodation for the time being.

The industrial building was built in 1918 as a watch factory. According to the plans of the Canton of Bern, the current owner of the site, the part of the cantonal administration that is currently located in Moutier will be housed there from 2026. The reason for this is the transfer of the town of Moutier from the canton of Bern to the canton of Jura.

SDA