Stettlen: Canton of Bern rents in Bernapark

The Canton of Bern will not be housing the Bern School of Design in Bernapark Stettlen until summer 2026 as previously planned, but until 2034. A new rental agreement has now been signed for this purpose, as announced by the Bern cantonal government. According to the press release, the annual rental costs will amount to just under CHF 3.9 million, plus one-off expenses of over CHF 15 million for extensions and school-specific infrastructure.

Originally, the Bern School of Design was only supposed to move to Bernapark until 2026, when the school building at Schänzlihalde 31 in Bern will be renovated. After that, Bernapark was to become an alternative location when the Neufeld and Kirchenfeld grammar schools were renovated. According to the cantonal government, this is no longer possible because pupil numbers at both schools are rising sharply. Instead, the grammar schools will use the renovated Bern School of Design at Schänzlihalde 31 as an alternative location from 2026 and some are also housed in the Liebefeld business park.  (ah)