Campus and Infrastructure

Basel Academy of Art and Design

21-5-2026_FHNW_HGK_GREENING_CAMPUS_2_Pati-Grabowicz_HIGHRES-5_web.jpg

With around 1,000 students and staff, the Basel Academy of Art and Design (HGK Basel) is a multifaceted learning, teaching and research community. It is located in historic buildings that were formerly a customs warehouse, as well as in a new high-rise building on Basel's Dreispitz site.

Welcome!Join the Campus @ HGK Basel!

The studio building, high-rise building, Campus.workshops, FoodCultureLab and “der TANK” exhibition space are all within walking distance of each other around Freilager-Platz. This square forms the centre of a neighbourhood with players from art and culture, design and the creative industries. The high-rise building and studio building house the institutes with their degree programmes, the media library, the exhibition and discourse space CIVIC, the general infrastructure, and a cafeteria and bistro.

Immediate neighbours of the HGK Basel include the exhibition space and library of the Basel School of Design (SfG), the HEK House of Electronic Arts, the archive building of the Herzog & de Meuron architectural firm, the Kunsthaus Baselland, the studios of the international scholarship programme for artists Atelier Mondial, and RadioX.

CIVIC

CIVIC is a social infrastructure, a discourse and exhibition space, and a place of education and experimentation for students, lecturers, staff and the public. CIVIC promotes the societal relevance of art and design. With the claim CIVIC IS WHAT WE MAKE OF IT, people organize self-initiated events such as exhibitions, workshops, happenings and discussion rounds that aim to be in contact with one another.

Campus.Workshops

The FHNW Academy of Art and Design offers its students, teachers, and staff members excellently equipped workshops for working metal, wood, plastics, and ceramics. In addition, we have the appropriate facilities for rapid prototyping, book binding, screen printing as well as a paint shop and a sculptor’s studio along with a sewing studio.

'der TANK'

In the exhibition space ‹der TANK›, exhibitions and projects by artists and students are presented. ‹der TANK› also shows a series of commissioned art projects by international artists associated with the Institute Art Gender Nature (IAGN), as well as by former students and lecturers.

FoodCultureLab

The FoodCultureLab, is a kitchen and a collaborative lab for food practices at the Institute Arts and Design Education (IADE) at the Basel Academy of Art and Design (HGK Basel). We welcome a manifold of formats and iterations that explore food as a medium, as material and as an interconnected living system.

Café Freilager and Bistro of the Arts

Since August 2025 Ryago operates the two gastronomic locations at HGK Basel: Café Freilager (high-rise building) and Bistro der Künste (studio building).

HGK Basel SPORT

The sport offer at the Basel Academy of Art and Design (HGK Basel) is open to students and staff, members of FHNW and the neighborhood.

Media Library Basel

Mon-Fri 10am-2pm, Sat closed

Studi-Lounge

The Studi-Lounge (student lounge) at the Basel Academy of Art and Design (HGK Basel) is a place run by and for students. It is organised by the student council and the students themselves. Away from studios and public areas, it offers space for exchange, relaxation and networking. It features a bar, as well as events and the possibility for parties. The student lounge is a meeting place and an important part of student life at the university.

Accessibility & Facilities

The buildings of the Basel Academy of Art and Design (HGK Basel) are accessible by wheelchair, stroller, and for people with walking difficulties. The entrance to the highrise building (Building D) is at ground level, the studio building (Building A) can be reached via a ramp. There is at least one lift in both buildings.

Dogs on campus

Dogs are generally very welcome on the HGK Basel campus and in its buildings!

Greening the Campus

Greening the Campus: Der Campus der HGK Basel wird grüner

Die Initiative «Greening the Campus» zeigt mit verschiedenen Begrünungsprojekten auf dem Campus der HGK Basel ihre Wirkung. Es sind Umgebungen geschaffen worden, die Aufenthalt, Austausch und soziale Interaktion fördern.

Greening the Campus: Begrünungsprojekte auf dem Campus der HGK Basel

Die Initiative «Greening the Campus» im Rahmen der Strategie HGK Basel 2035 nimmt mit verschiedenen Begrünungsprojekten auf dem Campus der HGK Basel Form an. Es werden Umgebungen geschaffen, die Aufenthalt, Austausch und soziale Interaktion fördern.

Opening hours

Reception (Building D, High-rise)
Monday through Friday	08.00 - 12.00 Uhr
	13.00 - 17.00 Uhr

During semester breaks and public holidays, opening hours may vary.

Contact

Telephone: +41 61 228 44 00
E-mail: empfang.hgk@fhnw.ch

Getting there

Public transport
The campus is easy to reach by public transport. The stop Freilager on BLT line 11 is immediately in front of the Campus (from Bahnhof SBB in direction Aesch)

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Tram replacement service 18 May to 12 December 2026:Due to construction work / track renewal on tram line 11, the Freilager stop will not be served by trams between 18 May and 12 December 2026.
Replacement buses will run between the Dreispitz stop and the Freilager stop. The temporary bus stops are signposted and are located a few metres from the tram stops.Up-to-date information on the BLT tram line can be found here: BLT-Tramlinie 11 (in German)

By car
Leave the motorway A2 at the junction Basel-St. Jakob and follow the sign Dreispitz. Approaching from Münchensteinerstrasse enter the Dreispitz complex through Gate 13 and park your car in one of the public car parks (Ruchfeld or Leimgrube). When setting your satnav, please note that the Freilager complex is part of the municipality of Münchenstein, Canton Basel-Landschaft.

Access by car for people with disabilities
Choose the access via Florenz-Strasse in the direction of the High-rise building (Building D). To lower the bollard at the gates of the campus please ring the bell. You will be connected to our reception in Building D.

Accessibility

The buildings of the HGK Basel are accessible by wheelchair, stroller, and for people with walking difficulties. The entrance to the highrise building (Building D) is at ground level, the studio building (Building A) can be reached via a ramp. There is at least one lift in both buildings.

Access by car for people with disabilities: See Gender-neutral toilets:
See ‘Getting there‘.

Toilets for people with disabilities:

Highrise building (Building D): Ground floor to 8th floor in the centre of the building
Studio building (Building A): Ground floor to 3rd floor, southern section of main corridor

Gender-neutral toilets:
Gender-neutral toilets are available in the high-rise building and in the studio building.

Parent-child-room:
A parent–child room is located in the studio building.

Postal address

Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW
Postfach (P.O. Box)
CH-4002 Basel

Visitor and delivery address

Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW
Freilager Platz 1, High-rise building
4142 Münchenstein b. Basel

T + 41 61 228 44 00
F + 41 61 228 44 44
M info.hgk@fhnw.ch

Campus HGK Basel

FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland
Basel Academy of Art and Design

Freilager-Platz 1
4142 Münchenstein near Basel

+41 61 228 44 44 info.hgk@fhnw.ch Route planner More information

Cam­pus and In­fra­struc­ture, Basel Academy of Art and Design

Contact

Campus HGK Basel

Campus and Infrastructure