SQUARE

The new quality of learning

SSQUARE( HSG Learning Center) aims to be an innovative place to think and work, paving the way for new ways of learning and interaction between students, lecturers and people with practical backgrounds. The HSG aims to create a new quality of learning based on an educational concept in order to prepare students in the digital age in the best possible way for their professional duties at a later stage. The HSG Learning Center is seen as an ecosystem for the further development of the learning and teaching culture at the University of St.Gallen.

We are shaping the future of learning and teaching.
Webcam of SQUARE:

Open Grid – Open Mind

A cosmos of interaction

Prof. Dr. Bernadette Dilger

The future of learning and teaching at the HSG

Prof. Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister

Thank you for more than 1100 donations

Your support makes a valuable contribution to the progress of the University of St.Gallen and supports the development of new, innovative educational concepts for the economy of the future. So far, more than 65 million Swiss francs have been raised for the SQUARE. Thank you very much!

Impact

Innovative learning and teaching for the digital age is developed at SQUARE.

Over 9,047 students benefit from SQUARE.

The costs of approximately 65 million Swiss francs are fully financed by private benefactors.

Voices

Clear words from those involved in the project: Prof. Dr. Marc Angélil (president of the panel of experts), Prof. Dr. Bernadette Dilger (expert providing the educational concept for the Learning Center) and Luca P. Serratore (president of the student body) – #3questions

Prof Dr. Marc Angélil, president of the panel of experts

Prof. Dr. Bernadette Dilger, expert providing the educational concept for the Learning Center

Luca P. Serratore, president of the student body

Educational concept

Digital transformation, artificial intelligence and process automation – the professional world of the future will pose completely new challenges for those involved in it. Core learning content must therefore focus on skills in the future, whereby people remain inherently superior. Logical thinking and problem-solving, social and emotional skills, advice and creativity. The HSG Learning Center provides the platform for this educational vision, which develops new and unique learning and teaching formats for the next generation.

«The HSG Learning Center will become a nucleus for the new learning.»

Prof. Dr. Thomas Bieger
Former president of the University of St.Gallen

«Personalities with responsibility today are committed to personalities with responsibility in the future.»

Urs Wietlisbach
lic.oec. HSG

Architectural concept

Cloister
A continuous path of learning with functional resting places as part of the daily routine. Connected and unbroken

Forum
A stage for many activities, such as conferences, lectures or collective learning – multifunctional and flexible..

Transparency
A democratic space with no hiding in which everything is easy to see, easy to find and easy to reach..

Nature
Greenness is mixed among the learners. Nature becomes part of the study environment. The activities connect indoor and outdoor space.

Floor plan

The new Learning Center has two upper floors, a ground floor and a basement with a total area of approximately 7000 square metres. The square proportions and flat floor permit a high level of flexibility and functionality for a dynamic learning environment. The architectural concept is based on the geometric grid, allowing a free interpretation of every room and the creation of organic processes.

Workshop and innovation areas

Everything flows together here in the atrium: as an open hub, the impressive room height provides a rapid spatial overview. The structural requirements for very different room concepts and applications both public and university-based – are already recessed in the floor.

Rooms for collaboration and rest areas

The cloister rises above the atrium and floods it with light. Spaces in between with lounges and small kitchen units provide freedom of movement while modular partitions respond to the versatile space requirements of panel discussions, lectures or examinations.

Concentration space

The media and reading rooms are places of peace and concentration. Light floods into the atrium from above and the view onto the terraces opens up the horizon to the outside. Individual work areas, discrete lounges for dialogue and smaller group rooms here enable focused learning and the planning of content.

Building

The architectural concept of the HSG Learning Center incorporates two elementary components: the grid and the organism. The grid provides a stable foundation for organic growth and the clarity at the beginning of innovative processes. The modular building concepts, which are acoustically and visually interlinked with each other, combine to form dynamic zones, creating space for adaptation, interpretation and combination.

Embedded in the landscape

The building fits harmoniously into its surroundings. Both physical and morphological interfaces were used to achieve this and the context of the region and town was taken into account. The excavated material generated during the construction phase was used to create small hills and reinforces the organic link between construction and nature. The greenery on the terraces, the connecting path to the HSG main building and the use of seamless materials emphasise the permeability of the building concept.

Spring, south-east side

Summer, north-west side

Autumn, north-east side

Winter, south-west side

Sou Fujimoto Architects

S ou Fujimoto (*1971) graduated in engineering sciences at the University of Tokyo. He established his architectural firm in Tokyo in 2000 and has been a professor at Kyoto University since 2007. He became more widely known when he won the «Architectural Review Awards», an award for emerging young architects, in 2005 and in the following three years. In 2008, he won the prestigious «Japanese Institute of Architecture Grande Prize». In 2013, he was invited to design the summer pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery in London as the youngest architect to date. In addition to many other awards, his office won the competition for the innovative Polytechnique Learning Centre at Paris-Saclay University in 2015. The architect’s firm with over 30 employees has also had an office in Paris in addition to Tokyo since 2016.

List of the architect’s work

Sou Fujimoto on «Open Grid – Choices of Tomorrow»

Milestones

Opening SQUARE

11.-13.02.2022

At the end of October, the general contractor HRS completes the construction work on the HSG Learning Center on schedule. This will be followed by the landscaping of the outdoor areas. On the inside, the installation of the AV technology and the furnishing are pending.

Construction phase completed

29.10.2021

Already 60 million donated

4.10.2021

A symbolic milestone: Fundraising reaches the donation level of 60 million Swiss francs, thanks to over 800 donors. The total donation target of 63 million Swiss francs is within reach and will be targeted by the opening in February 2022.

Shell construction completed

01.12.2020

The final height of the building has been reached. Construction site operations can be maintained despite restrictions due to the Corona pandemic. Public celebrations are dispensed in favor of everyone's health.

Laying of the foundation stone HSG Learning Center

28/05/2020

The construction work for the HSG Learning Center, but also the development of the didactic program is in full swing. The foundation is being laid for the learning and teaching of the future. With a livestream the centuries-old custom of laying the foundation stone on 28 May 2020, 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. was symbolically celebrated.

Ground-breaking ceremony HSG Learning Center

06/11/2019

The ground-breaking ceremony took place on 6 November 2019 with numerous guests from politics, sponsors, the neighbourhood, students and employees - a highly symbolic celebration of this further important milestone. Using lights and a choreography by HSG students and staff, the ground plan of the future HSG Learning Center was depicted 1:1 on the area next to the library building.

Building permit issued

05/07/2019

The building permit from the city of St.Gallen has been available since July 5, and was submitted on January 11, 2019 by the representatives of PPM Peter Projektmanagement, Burckhardt+Partner, Sou Fuimoto Architects and the HSG Foundation. The ground-breaking ceremony for the innovative building is expected to take place in November 2019. These two important stages are a sign of the good cooperation with the city and cantonal authorities.

Start approval procedure

15/01/2019

The building application for the HSG Learning Center will be submitted on 18 January. The building visors on the area north of the library building will be set up and remain in place until the procedure is completed. They illustrate the different building heights. At the end of January, the building structure and its integration into the surroundings can be reconstructed on site using a 3D model.

Announcement of the winning project

21/02/2018

The sixteen-member panel of judges chose the winning project for the construction of the Learning Center. They chose Sou Fujimoto Architects with the «Open Grid - Choices of Tomorrow» project. The HSG Foundation wants to achieve the full financing through donations and is on the right track. It would like to express its sincere thanks to the initial benefactors who have pledged around 40 million Swiss francs up until now.

Start of the architectural competition

16/08/2017

Eight renowned national and international offices participate in the invitation process for the architectural competition. The aim of the Learning Center is to bring a structural, technological, virtual and intellectual infrastructure together, thus providing a home for new forms of learning.

Green light from the cantonal government of St.Gallen.

30/05/2017

The cantonal government of St.Gallen sends positive signals to the HSG Foundation for the share of land required for the construction of the HSG Learning Center. The HSG Foundation can therefore begin the further realisation steps. The start of construction is planned for 2019/20 so that the HSG Learning Center will be ready for students in the spring semester of 2022.

Start approaching of funding partners

End of 2016

The HSG Foundation is committed to realise the HSG Learning Center and is starting to approach benefactors.

Quote from a benefactor

«Technological change, constant changes, progressive digitalisation, constantly changing problems not only require flexible, problem-orientated ways of working but also new learning methods and approaches. Students need to experience and learn at an early stage how to work in a changing, interdisciplinary team in a working environment where innovation, creativity and team spirit is reinforced, and not just at a later stage in their practical work. I see the great value and importance of the new HSG Learning Center.»

Michael Hilti, lic. oec. HSG

Initial benefactors

The HSG Foundation would like to thank all benefactors for their important and generous support, in particular Michael Hilti, the Hilti Family Foundation, Thomas Schmidheiny and the Ursimone Wietlisbach Foundation. Benefactors in alphabetical order:

The HSG Foundation would like to thank all of its benefactors

The new quality of learning

Open Grid – Open Mind

Prof. Dr. Bernadette Dilger

Prof. Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister

Thank you for more than 1100 donations

Impact

Voices

Educational concept

«The HSG Learning Center will become a nucleus for the new learning.»

«Personalities with responsibility today are committed to personalities with responsibility in the future.»

Architectural concept

Floor plan

Building

Embedded in the landscape

Sou Fujimoto Architects

Sou Fujimoto on «Open Grid – Choices of Tomorrow»

Milestones

Opening SQUARE

11.-13.02.2022

Construction phase completed

29.10.2021

Already 60 million donated

4.10.2021

Shell construction completed

01.12.2020

Laying of the foundation stone HSG Learning Center

28/05/2020

Ground-breaking ceremony HSG Learning Center

06/11/2019

Building permit issued

05/07/2019

Start approval procedure

15/01/2019

Announcement of the winning project

21/02/2018

Start of the architectural competition

16/08/2017

Green light from the cantonal government of St.Gallen.

30/05/2017

Start approaching of funding partners

End of 2016

Quote from a benefactor

Initial benefactors

Katrin und Christian Abegglen

Paul und Ann-Kristin Achleitner

Iwan J. und Monika Ackermann

Akris

Aquifarm Stiftung Vaduz

auviso – audio visual solutions ag

b2venture AG

Raymond J. Bär

Rudi Bindella

Hans Bøgh-Sørensen

Toni Calabretti

Capvis

Diethelm Keller Group

Angela und Manfred Dirrheimer

Ernst Göhner Stiftung

Familie Lienhard

Fishing Club

Kaspar M. Fleischmann

Georg und Bertha Schwyzer-Winiker-Stiftung

Karl Gernandt

Felix Grisard

Martin Haefner

Mark E. B. Hauri

Helvetia Versicherungen

Hess Investment Gruppe

Michael Hilti

Hilti Family Foundation Liechtenstein

Hirschmann-Stiftung

Holcim

HRS Real Estate AG

HSG Alumni & Amici

HSG Heugümper Club

Industrie- und Handelskammer St.Gallen-Appenzell

Eugen von Keller

Urs und Susi Landolf