Developing a campus

ETH Zurich’s core missions are teaching, research, and the transfer of knowledge to business and society. Modern and flexible infrastructure is a key factor and prerequisite for international excellence.

The long-term development of the campus, ETH Zurich’s real estate planning, and its requirements for new buildings are all based on the university’s teaching, research and knowledge transfer activities. ETH Zurich follows a sustainability- and quality-driven approach to real estate development.

The university favours flexible buildings that can be easily adapted to new developments and changing requirements. The quality of the existing building stock must also be preserved and its value maintained.

This is assured by the Real Estate Management department at ETH Zurich.

Central and Hönggerberg campus locations

ETH Zurich’s traditional campus has been in the centre of the city of Zurich since 1855. (Photograph: ETH Zurich / Alessandro Della Bella) A constant hub of activity: ETH Zurich in the university district. (Photograph: ETH Zurich / Alessandro Della Bella) In 1964/65, ETH Zurich moved into the Hönggerberg. Today this is its second campus at the main site Zurich. (Picture: ETH Zurich / Alessandro Della Bella) The view from the Hönggerberg campus encompasses Zurich and the Limmat Valley, framed by the Alps. (Photograph: Jean Schmitt)

Two campuses in Zurich

ETH Zurich is concentrating its main spatial and structural development in the Zurich area on the two campuses in the centre and on the Hönggerberg.

These provide a full range of teaching and research offerings and services. They each offer a centralised space for several departments (Zentrum: 9; Hönggerberg: 7). Hönggerberg also has a distinct campus character.
The historical nature of the neighbourhood and city structures restrict the scope of development opportunities in Zurich city centre around the Zentrum site.
ETH Zurich is therefore focusing on its Hönggerberg campus for the majority of its future space requirements.
Zurich is being further developed as a university centre by ETH Zurich in collaboration with University Hospital Zurich and the University of Zurich. Medicine is a joint focus of development, and is also a new strategic focus for ETH Zurich.

Enlarged view: ETH Zurich is based chiefly in Zurich, where it operates one campus in the Hönggerberg district and another in the city centre. The main site is complemented by strategically selected “external sites”. (Map: ETH Zurich) — ETH Zurich is based chiefly in Zurich, where it operates one campus in the Hönggerberg district and another in the city centre. The main site is complemented by strategically selected “external sites”. (Map: ETH Zurich)

Field-specific external sites

ETH Zurich engages in field-specific investment to develop further locations where this geographical proximity enhances collaboration on scientific activities with its research and industry partners and enables the shared use of infrastructure and technology platforms.

The BSS building in Basel

One example of this is the Department of Biosystems in Basel, for which ETH Zurich has built the new building BSS, which was inaugurated in 2024 on the University of Basel’s Schällemätteli life sciences campus.