A temporary site that symbolises new forms of work

The seven-storey Galenica headquarters in Bern-Bümpliz will be completely renovated by 2027. During the refurbishments, Galenica employees have been working from a temporary facility. The “Swing Space” comprises meeting areas, an open cafeteria, group spaces, workshop areas as well as areas for focused work and flexible office workstations. Networking, creative exchange and diversity are a top priority, as is sustainability: a great deal of existing material was reused for the temporary site. And the materials that had to be purchased will be used again in three years’ time at the renovated headquarters.

The “Swing Space” is not simply a workplace, but a symbol of the new culture of collaboration at Galenica. In the interest of collaborative and consistent creation of added value, decisions are made by those who know the most about the matter.

We are also testing new forms of organisation. For example, the approach known as the “role model” involves organising work rather than people. This results in flat hierarchies that require a great deal of initiative and management responsibility on the part of all employees. Collaboration via “value streams” is particularly valuable for complex projects at the interface between business and IT: the entire path of a product or service – from the initial customer requirement to closing – is mapped from the outset and all value-adding activities are organised in a continuous flow.

The employees who work at the temporary site at headquarters agree that the modern working environment in the Swing Space encourages more open collaboration.