MEDIA RELEASE

by Novartis International AG
06.04.2022

Novartis Pavillon
Wonders of Medicine

The Novartis Pavillon is the new exhibition, meeting and event center on the Novartis Campus. It reflects our relationship with society in Switzerland, with people in Basel and with our direct neighbours. The heart of the building is the Wonders of Medicine exhibition, which will open to the public April 30, 2022. The Novartis Pavillon is located in the Park Süd of the Novartis Campus in Basel with direct public access via St. Johanns-Hafen-Weg.

The aim of the exhibition is to help visitors understand complex medical and healthcare topics, and to invite them to participate in a dialogue. The exhibition offers an interactive learning experience. Visitors can explore the fragility of the human body, as well as the challenges researchers face when trying to develop innovative new drugs. The exhibition is aimed at a general audience from about age 12 and older, including people who are interested in medical science, school classes, and Novartis employees and their families. The vision and content for the Wonders of Medicine were developed in close cooperation with our scientists and supported conceptually by the scenography experts of the Atelier Brückner from Stuttgart in Germany and the Basel Studio for Media Architectures iArt. The Wonders of Medicine exhibition is located on the upper floor of the Novartis Pavillon and follows the circular shape of the building.
The exhibition features interactive multimedia and invites visitors to discover the Wonders of Medicine independently. The exhibition is accompanied by a “digital companion” -- an audio device specially developed for the exhibition, which can be adjusted based on the preferences of visitors. All exhibition contents are available in German, English and French.

The Floor Plan & Content

On the way to the upper floor of the Novartis Pavillon, on the mezzanine, there is a small movie theater. This is where the exhibition starts with the short film Making Medicine. Upon entering the upper floor, visitors are invited to explore the world of medicine. The exhibition consists of four content areas:

• Fragility of Life starts on a very human level, with which everyone can identify. This topic also makes it clear what this is all about – people. Patients and their family members tell how they deal with diseases such as heart failure, breast cancer and malaria. In addition, the aim is to provide visitors with information about vital systems of the body and to explain how diseases can disrupt them.

• From Lab to Patient shows the paths a drug takes as it moves from the lab to the patient in eight steps. For example, a series of windows with video installations features researchers, production technicians, and other people involved in the development of new, innovative drugs. They explain their day-to-day work and also introduce some of the high-tech equipment they use in each development step.

• Steps through Time tells the history of medicine and the emergence of the pharmaceutical industry in Basel. Here, you have the opportunity to discover objects that have a connection to Basel and our company history. Visitors can also immerse themselves in the history of medicine via numerous short videos. Using an interactive city map, the “time scanner” enables visitors to learn how the city of Basel has changed from 1880 to the present day.

• Future of Healthcare invites visitors to join virtual discussions with experts on the social and ethical implications of trends shaping the future of healthcare. Topics include access to medicine, genetic engineering and the influence of artificial intelligence. However, you do not have to remain a spectator. You can actively participate in the discussion and learn more about the perspectives of others. Those interested can also learn more about these three topics at the interactive information pillars.

With these four exhibition areas, we would like to encourage visitors to reflect on topics such as the human body, health, opportunities and challenges in the healthcare sector, and the role of pharmaceutical companies in the development of innovative drugs and therapies.

Opening hours

The Novartis Pavillon is a meeting place for the general public and our employees.
The Wonders of Medicine exhibition can be visited from Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The cafe is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at weekends.
The entrance fee for the Wonders of Medicine exhibition is 10 Swiss francs for all visitors aged 12 and over. The entrance fees are donated to nonprofit institutions. For registered school classes, the visit to the exhibition is free of charge.

In addition, events on scientific topics are regularly offered at the Novartis Pavillon. These are open to the public and can also take place outside the opening hours.
Events enable the open exchange of knowledge and ideas for the broadest possible audience. Information about the events can be found on https://www.campus.novartis.com/novartis-pavillon

Further image material on the Novartis Pavillon can be found in our media library. https://www.campus.novartis.com/novartis-pavillon

Media Contact at Novartis:
Anna-Katharina Schäfers
Novartis External Communications
+41 79 801 72 67
anna-katharina.schaefers(at)novartis.com