Finished and ready for use: the new hall complex for BASELWORLD has been completed. The overall contractor has finished the new hall complex on time, and according to plan, and handed it over to MCH Basel Exhibition. On March 4, 2013, a start will be made on assembling the stands for BASELWORLD, which opens its doors on April 25, 2013.

The new building project for MCH Messe Basel was first presented to the public just under seven years ago. After some 22 months' construction work – divided up over three building phases between June 2010 and February 2013 – HRS Real Estate AG, the general contractor responsible for building the complex, handed the new hall over to MCH Basel Exhibition on February 8, 2013, on schedule and according to plan. With an overall investment of CHF 430 million, the successfully completed project is the biggest investment ever to have been made in Switzerland's exhibition industry.

The hall complex which is 220 metres long, 90 metres wide and 32 metres high provides a total of 38,000 square metres of exhibition space on the ground floor and the two upper storeys that span the Exhibition Square. Exhibition Centre Basel is now able to offer 141,000 square metres of show ground, with no less than 74,000 square metres of this being provided by Hall 1 that runs along Riehenring.

The new building developed by architects Herzog & de Meuron combines functionality and aesthetics in the ideal manner. The compact exhibition site makes for flexible management and offers visitors a high level of comfort and convenience. At the same time, the new building constitutes an impressive architectural visiting card. The built-over section of the Exhibition Square with its striking atrium – the so-called City Lounge – will become a new and attractive centre for the exhibition ground.