Campus - 15.07.2026 - 09:30
Alberto Giacometti’s sculpture "Standing Woman" is currently concealed behind wooden boards on the top floor of the HSG main building. Directly above the bronze figure by the world-famous Swiss sculptor, one of 13 skylights is being replaced. “By covering the sculpture, we are minimising the risk of damage as far as possible,” says Markus Steiner, Head of Construction and Technology at the HSG. At the same time, the roof of the listed main building, which was inaugurated in 1963, is being renovated and fitted with a new solar panel system.
This system on the main building is already the fifth PV system to come into operation on campus within six years. The largest to date was installed in 2023 on the roof of the sports facilities – on the initiative of students, lecturers and staff. “We are now able to meet over 20 per cent of our electricity needs with solar energy,” says Steiner.
The work must be carried out whilst lectures are on hold. The Building Authority of the Canton of St. Gallen is coordinating the refurbishment together with the HSG’s Bau + Technik team; local companies are carrying out the work. “The schedule is quite tight, as we can only carry out the work during the few weeks of the summer break,” says Steiner. It is important that everything goes to plan, because the work on the technical systems in HSG’s main building and canteen building effectively affects the very heart of the university.
In addition to the roof work, the workers are also replacing the control cabinets for the building automation system. These control cabinets are responsible, for example, for regulating the ventilation and cooling systems. Energy-efficient components are also being installed in the ventilation systems themselves.
By the time over 2,000 new students arrive at the HSG during StartWeek from 7 to 11 September at the latest, the campus and its buildings must be ready again.
The work involved is certainly extensive: scaffolding, including a temporary roof, is being erected on the main building for the refurbishment. In addition, old metal cladding that covered the former ventilation systems is being removed. “In doing so, we are restoring the listed building to its original condition as far as possible,” says Steiner. Furthermore, acoustic panels are being fitted to the ceilings of individual seminar rooms.
If everything goes according to plan, drilling for geothermal probes will also begin near the campus in the winter of 2026/2027. The energy extracted from these probes, together with heat pumps, will in future provide heating and cooling for the campus. This will replace the HSG’s current supply of oil and gas.
