Inselspital Medical Campus
A 50-year masterplan for the Inselspital campus in Bern enables the phased transformation of Switzerland’s largest hospital by balancing short-term facility upgrades with long-term change rooted in “system separation” principles and rule-based urban design.
Inselspital Campus 2060 masterplan (adopted 2010)
Bern, Switzerland
The Challenge
Decades of uncoordinated expansion had left the Inselspital medical campus fragmented and inefficient. Facilities were aging, intransigent, and unable to support modern interdisciplinary care. Any long-term redevelopment plan needed to ensure continuous operation while future-proofing for shifting technologies and clinical demands.
Key Issues
A fragmented campus layout hindered staff collaboration and patient flow.
Rigid building types could not adapt to evolving medical programs.
An aging 1970s-era tower needed replacement without service disruption.
The scale for redevelopment demanded long-range yet adaptable planning.
Operational continuity had to be ensured during phased construction.
Stakeholder coordination across public and institutional actors required clear communication.
The Ambitions
Henn Architecture developed “Masterplan 2060” as an ambitious open-ended strategy for making Inselspital a cohesive, future-proof medical campus by integrating flexibility, phased renewal, and a sense of place within a regulated design framework.
Strategic Goals
Define spatial rules like volumetric envelopes, service alignments without prescribing fixed uses.
Roughly double the hospital’s floor area (by ~320,000 m² or 3,444,000 ft²) over five decades.
Preserve heritage pavilions while organizing new blocks around plazas.
Ensure adaptable interiors through the “system separation” approach.
Facilitate horizontal expansion between buildings via podiums and skybridges.
Enable leapfrog construction through pre-zoned plots and utility corridors.
Plan for indefinite adaptability within a scenario-based roadmap.
The Realization
HENN’s 2010 masterplan introduced a regulatory framework guiding design over five decades. The first major project—the 82,000-m² (880,000-ft²) Anna-Seiler-Haus—opened in 2023, replacing the old central tower. Built adjacent to the existing hospital, it consolidated care units and launched a new cycle of phased redevelopment.
Vital Design Choices
Exterior load-bearing structure allowed flexible internal layouts.
Central utility corridors supported service independence and long-term updates.
Volumetric building rules ensured diverse design within consistent massing.
Shared public spaces created a clear identity and campus logic.
Disentangled circulation improved navigation and safety.
Crop rotation strategy kept one site always free for next-phase building.
The Results
The new main hospital opened on time and on budget. Interdisciplinary care has improved through consolidated facilities. The flexible masterplan continues to guide construction while maintaining continuous hospital operations.
A major milestone in the plan, the Anna Seiler-Haus (2023)
Promising Outcomes
No service interruption during major redevelopment.
Strong campus identity with integrated heritage and open spaces.
Adaptable building systems ready for future technologies.
Clear governance model balancing autonomy and cohesion.
Replicable framework now informing other complex healthcare redevelopments.
Inselspital demonstrates how Open Building can underpin large-scale, phased transformation. By separating long-life structure from short-cycle infill—and combining spatial rules with scenario-based planning—the hospital ensures adaptability across decades without losing sight of its mission.
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Client
Canton Bern Office for Real Estate and Public Buildings
Inselspital University Hospital
Campus building footprint
Current floor area: 280,000m² (3,013,900 sq. ft.); growth to 600,000 m² (6,458,300 sq ft)
Urban Designer
HENN Architects, Berlin
Implementation Period
2010 to 2060
Users
Around 44,000 inpatients per year; 6400 employees, in addition to 900 students
“The masterplan is valid indefinitely, but is not finite” (Giorgio Macchi, Chief Architect of the Office for Real Estate and Public Buildings, Canton Bern, 2011)