Basel: Syngenta scales down plans for new building
The agricultural chemicals group Syngenta is modifying the conversion plans for its headquarters in Basel. The new building, which was planned to replace the Geigy high-rise, is not to be realized.
Syngenta has changed the conversion plans for its headquarters in Basel. This is reported by the Badische Zeitung (BZ) with reference to a statement by the company. According to this, the new building, which was planned opposite the Badischer Bahnhof in place of the Geigy high-rise, will no longer be realized.
According to earlier information, the high-rise building, which dates back to the 1950s, was to be demolished and replaced by a new building designed by the Basel-based architectural firm Buchner Bründler. The new replacement building was part of the Group's ROSE (Rosental Site Enhancement) project. As the BZ reports that the high-rise building will be demolished as planned, but the new construction project will no longer be realized. This step could save CHF 30 million, reports the BZ citing a statement from the company. A Syngenta spokeswoman also told the newspaper that there was no longer a need for the project. A new analysis of space and area requirements had shown that there was sufficient capacity on site with the introduction of open-plan offices in the other three large buildings and the newly built conference center, she said.
The BZ draws a connection between the modified conversion plans for the Rosental site and the acquisition of Syngenta by ChemChina. However, the company spokeswoman rejected this. As far as the Basel headquarters is concerned, no far-reaching changes are foreseeable in the medium term due to the takeover, in particular no significant changes in the number of employees. Currently, around 1,400 people work for the group at the Basel site.
