The last filling of the production boilers in 2017 marked the beginning of the farewell to what was once one of the world’s most modern factory buildings. At peak times, around 3000 metric tons of active ingredients for medicines were produced here each year, including for the anti-inflammatory Voltaren, the antihypertensive Diovan and the antiepileptic Tegretol.
The closure of the K-640 building also marked the transition from an old production site that had been in use for centuries to a completely new Basel neighborhood in which the former factory buildings are to be replaced by modern apartments, offices and meeting areas.
The chemical specialists, some of whom had worked at K-640 for over 20 years, approached this last day of production with very different feelings. While the older ones among them remembered the long years they had worked together and the strong sense of camaraderie, the younger ones looked to the future of the new city quarter with hope and expectation.