Your specialist for lab containers · German-speaking Swiss pharma-biotech cluster

Lab containers Zurich – SIA-compliant BSL-3 laboratories for research, pharma and hospitals

Name: Planexus GmbH
Address: Am Steinbach 8, Albstadt-Laufen, Baden-Württemberg, 72459, DE
Telephone: +49 7435 7519 700
Price range: €€€

Our managing directors bring more than ten years of experience in lab-container construction. Modular, SIA 261-compliant, T1 customs-cleared. We deliver flexible research environments for universities, university hospitals, pharma, biotech and technology parks in the Zurich area — from the Albstadt works directly to Zurich, via the A81 and the Thayngen border.

While others are still planning, you are already researching.

Complimentary Zurich site audit +49 7435 7519 700

Specialist in modular laboratory construction

Award 2026 EU Business News

Thayngen customs clearance included

Wesemann Group · 60+ years of laboratory construction

Technically responsible

Planexus Engineering Team · Location ownership Zurich

Content is owned by the Planexus engineering team — civil engineers, process engineers and laboratory planners with specialised experience in modular laboratory construction. Planexus GmbH is part of Wesemann Holding GmbH and delivers BSL-2, BSL-3, GMP and ATEX containers for pharma, biotech, research and crisis units across DACH.

HQ: Albstadt, BW Plant: Am Steinbach 8, 72459 Albstadt Award: German CEO Excellence Award 2026 Last technical review: April 2026

Pattern interrupt · World premiere at analytica 2026

Planexus shows Zurich what a lab container can really do in 2026

An ordinary lab container has 2,400 mm internal height. Working upright at a fume cupboard is a struggle.

The Planexus LABtoGO has 2,750 mm internal height. 9.5 m external length. 3 m external width. A fully glazed front that brings genuine daylight into every Zurich research, hospital and pharmaceutical laboratory.

An ordinary lab container fits entirely inside a LABtoGO. We configure it for Zurich to SIA 261 (seismic zone Z1a), SIA 380/1 (energy stricter than the German GEG), T1 customs clearance from the Albstadt works, and a T13/T15 Swiss electrical connection.

2,750

mm internal height

Standard: 2,400 mm

9,500

mm external length

3,000 mm width

U≤0.17

W/m²K wall

SIA 380/1 met

SIA 261

Seismic Z1a

structurally verified

View the LABtoGO platform and all configurations

Planexus solves the three Zurich bottlenecks at which laboratory projects regularly fail

Thayngen customs + 8.1% VAT — a bureaucratic cost trap

Switzerland is not an EU customs territory. Standard freight operators invoice containers without a customs strategy — suddenly 8.1% VAT lands on the end price, T1 transit papers are missing, and daily charges accumulate at the Thayngen border. For temporary rental containers an ATA Carnet would be the right instrument — those who do not know this pay unnecessarily.

Planexus answer: T1 or ATA Carnet according to project duration, Thayngen clearance co-ordinated from the works.

SIA 261 instead of DIN — German structural calculations alone are not permittable

Swiss permitting authorities do not accept DIN structural calculations on their own. SIA 261 (actions, seismic), SIA 263 (steel construction) and SIA 380/1 (energy) are binding. Containers from German works that document only DIN fail in the Zurich building-permit procedure and must be supplemented afterwards — that delays the project by 6–10 weeks.

Planexus answer: Structural design to SIA 261/263 and energy to SIA 380/1 documented from the works.

Pharma and university third-party funding — ESV instead of the German GenTSV

Swiss GMP facilities are authorised by Swissmedic; genetically modified installations S1/S2/S3 go through the Einschliessungsverordnung (ESV, Containment Ordinance) at FOEN/FOPH (BAFU/BAG) — not through the German BVL/regional government. Anyone submitting GenTSV application documents in Zurich will be rejected. University third-party-funded projects require the Swiss application path from day one.

Planexus answer: ESV-compliant risk assessment, Swissmedic-ready, Swiss application documents.

Lab containers for Zurich: what German-speaking Switzerland, SIA standards and Thayngen customs clearance demand of the engineering

Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city and, after Basel, its second-largest pharma-biotech location. Across 88 square kilometres and 12 city districts, the banking centre, universities (natural sciences, chemistry, biology, pharmacy and mechanical engineering on the Hönggerberg and Rämistrasse campuses), the natural-science and medical university campus (Campus Irchel), university hospitals (Rämistrasse), pharmaceutical and diagnostics groups in the surrounding region, and technology parks with numerous biotech spin-offs compete for space, permits and engineering capacity.

We know this market in detail. We know that the City of Zurich Building Permit Office at Lindenhofstrasse 19, 8001 Zurich, decides under the cantonal PBG and the ABV. We know that SIA 261 defines seismic zone Z1a for Zurich (agd = 0.6 m/s²) and that Bauwerksklasse I or II determines which safety factors apply. We know that SIA 380/1 and MuKEn 2014/2025 are stricter than the German GEG, and that for containers with six months or more of continuous operation in Zurich, U-values ≤ 0.17 W/m²K (wall and roof) and triple glazing are the standard. We know that Swiss VAT is 8.1 per cent (as at 2026), that customs clearance runs under the T1 transit procedure at the Thayngen customs office, and that rental containers can enter under temporary admission with an ATA Carnet without a VAT charge. These details are not in our quotation — they are the engineering and logistics foundation of every container that leaves our Albstadt works.

Made in Albstadt, customs-cleared at Thayngen, turnkey in Zurich. Final assembly and interior fit-out are carried out with Wesemann furniture in our own works — factory visits can be arranged from either side. South on the A81 via Singen, through the Thayngen border with T1 or ATA clearance, the A4 to Winterthur and the A1 to Zurich, the heavy-haulage distance is around 150 kilometres; the Zurich-Nord (A1) junctions for Hönggerberg and Irchel, Zurich-Brunau (A3) for the Rämistrasse hill and Zurich-City for Hardstrasse are standard delivery points.

Whether you need a mobile laboratory in Zurich for a time-limited hospital refurbishment, a modular lab container in Zurich for a permanent university expansion at Hönggerberg, or a container laboratory in Zurich with BSL-3 containment and Swissmedic-ready GMP for a biotech spin-off in a technology park — we deliver all three answers from the same platform: the LABtoGO from our Albstadt works, with Swiss customs, structural and energy documentation from the factory.

Six engineering disciplines for German-speaking Switzerland

Planexus builds lab containers for Zurich that are aligned in every discipline with Swiss realities — not generic, but standard- and site-specific.

SIA 261 seismic

Z1a + building importance class

Zurich lies in seismic zone Z1a (agd = 0.6 m/s²). We supply structural design to SIA 261 with an SIA 263 anchoring concept, BWK I or II according to risk — not DIN alone.

SIA 380/1 energy

U ≤ 0.17 W/m²K + HR ≥ 75%

SIA 380/1 and MuKEn 2014/2025 are stricter than the German GEG. Sandwich outer envelope, triple glazing and heat recovery sized at the works for the Swiss minimum requirement.

Customs & VAT

T1 or ATA Carnet

For permanent import, T1 transit with clearance at Thayngen (8.1% VAT). For temporary rental containers, ATA Carnet (temporary admission, no VAT) — we co-ordinate the entire process.

ESV & Swissmedic

Swiss authority path, not German

Genetically modified installations S1/S2/S3 under the Containment Ordinance (ESV) at FOEN/FOPH, GMP via Swissmedic — not GenTSV/BVL. Application documents in Swiss form.

Swiss electrical grid

T13/T15 + NIN 2020

SEV 1011 sockets (T13/T15), CEE industrial as in Germany. Wiring diagrams to NIN 2020. Building connection by a Swiss installer with NIV licence.

VKF fire protection

Swiss fire-protection standard 2015

Zurich installations follow the VKF fire-protection regulations (Association of Cantonal Fire Insurers) rather than the German MBO/LBauO. For hospitals, additional hospital fire-protection rules apply.

Three Zurich specifics

Three Swiss requirements that German suppliers regularly miss — Planexus builds Zurich lab containers around them

Generic landing pages for the whole of Germany do not address the three realities a lab container in Zurich must actually meet. We do — because we know the Swiss pharma, research and hospital market, and our Albstadt works produces what arrives here with Swiss paperwork.

SIA structural design instead of DIN: seismic Z1a + BWK

Swiss permitting authorities do not accept DIN structural calculations on their own. SIA 261 with seismic zone Z1a (agd = 0.6 m/s²) and Bauwerksklasse I/II is binding. Containers from German works that document only DIN fail in the Zurich procedure and must be supplemented afterwards.

Planexus standard: SIA 261/263 documented from the works.

Thayngen customs: T1 versus ATA Carnet

Switzerland is not part of the EU Customs Union. Permanent import uses the T1 transit procedure with clearance at the Thayngen customs office and 8.1 per cent Swiss VAT. Temporary rental containers (for example clinical studies) use an ATA Carnet under temporary admission — no VAT, with a security deposit. Standard freight operators do not calculate this.

Planexus standard: T1 or ATA Carnet according to project duration, Thayngen clearance co-ordinated.

SIA 380/1 stricter than the GEG

SIA 380/1 (thermal energy in buildings) and MuKEn 2014/2025 require, for Swiss containers with six months or more of continuous operation, U-values ≤ 0.17 W/m²K (wall and roof), triple glazing with U ≤ 1.0 W/m²K and heat recovery with an efficiency of ≥ 75 per cent — stricter than the German GEG.

Planexus standard: sandwich envelope + triple glazing + heat recovery from the Albstadt works.

Planexus for Zurich: EU Award 2026, SIA-compliant, Wesemann ecosystem

Three pillars that no competitor in the DACH region combines in this way.

Award 2026

EU Business News – German CEO Excellence Awards 2026: Planexus recognised as “Leading provider of innovative laboratory spaces”. Internationally awarded immediately after the LABtoGO world premiere.

Made in Albstadt

Final assembly, interior fit-out and QC at the Albstadt works (Emil-Mayer-Strasse 1). SIA structural design, SIA 380/1 insulation and T13/T15 electrical connection pre-configured at the factory. Factory visits available at any time.

Wesemann ecosystem

Part of Wesemann Holding, with more than 60 years of experience in laboratory fit-out. Containers, furniture, cleanroom technology — from a single source. Swiss customs clearance included.

Comparison for Zurich: LABtoGO, standard containers and conventional construction

An honest comparison matrix. So you can make an informed decision before we talk.

Criterion	Conventional build, Zurich	Standard container	LABtoGO
Lead time	24–36 months	16–22 weeks	8–14 weeks
Internal height	3.0 m+	2.4 m	2.75 m
SIA 261 structural	Standard	Rarely from the factory	Standard from the factory
SIA 380/1 energy	Case by case	Rare	U ≤ 0.17 W/m²K standard
Thayngen customs	Case by case	Rarely co-ordinated	T1/ATA Carnet included
Mobility / relocatable	None	Limited	Fully mobile
T13/T15 electrical connection	Standard	Rare	Pre-configured at the factory

Investment models

Rent, buy or hire-purchase — we build the model around your Zurich project

Container specification, biosafety level, cleanroom class, SIA requirements and duration determine the calculation. Instead of a dummy price range, you receive a project-specific written indication in CHF within 24 hours.

For the calculation we need: Zurich site (Hönggerberg, Irchel, Rämistrasse, Rotkreuz, Hardstrasse, Dübendorf), biosafety level (S1/S2/S3, GMP, ATEX), desired duration and commissioning date, and whether T1 clearance (purchase) or ATA Carnet (rental).

Request an indication in 24 h

Rental (ATA Carnet)

Flexible, without a VAT charge

For clinical studies, time-limited SNSF third-party-funded projects at universities, and short-term cantonal grant projects. ATA Carnet clearance, temporary admission — no Swiss VAT.

Purchase (T1 clearance)

Asset, permanent import

For permanent expansion at university campuses (Hönggerberg, Irchel), pharmaceutical sites in the surrounding region or technology parks. T1 transit with Thayngen clearance, 8.1% Swiss VAT.

Hire-purchase

Transition from rental to ownership

When a study interim can become a permanent site — ATA is converted to T1, rental payments later credited against the purchase.

Logistics evidence

Albstadt works → Zurich: 150 km via the A81 + Thayngen border

From the Albstadt works the heavy-haulage route runs south on the A81 via Singen, through the Thayngen/Schaffhausen border crossing with customs clearance, then the A4 to Winterthur and the A1 to Zurich. Driving time is about 2.5 hours; with Thayngen clearance typically one transport day.

Standard containers under 4 m width and 18 t do not require an abnormal-load permit — next-day installation is possible. Oversized plants or inner-city sitings are co-ordinated with a 60–200 t mobile crane and escort vehicles through the City of Zurich and cantonal police.

From order to operational handover in Zurich takes 8 to 14 weeks.

150

km from works

~2.5 h

Heavy haulage

A81/A4/A1

via Thayngen

Motorway junctions

Zurich-Nord (A1) for Hönggerberg and Irchel, Zurich-Brunau (A3) for the Rämistrasse hill, Zurich-City (Hardbrücke) for Hardstrasse 219. Mobile-crane installation the following day after Thayngen customs clearance.

Zurich permits

We prepare everything for the City of Zurich, the canton, FOEN/FOPH and Swissmedic

Zurich has clear competences: the City of Zurich Building Permit Office (Lindenhofstrasse 19, 8001) for the building permit under PBG/ABV, the Cantonal Building Directorate for higher-level procedures, FOEN/FOPH for the Containment Ordinance ESV (genetically modified installations), and Swissmedic Bern for GMP and the Therapeutic Products Act. We deal with all four — you do not.

PBG ZH + ABV + BZO City of Zurich

The governing instruments are the Cantonal Planning and Building Act (PBG), the General Building Ordinance (ABV) and the City of Zurich Building and Zoning Ordinance (BZO). We classify your site in advance and submit examinable building documents to the City of Zurich Building Permit Office, Lindenhofstrasse 19, 8001 Zurich.

SIA 261/263/380/1 structural and energy from the works

Swiss permitting authorities do not accept DIN structural calculations on their own. We supply SIA 261 (seismic zone Z1a, agd 0.6 m/s²), SIA 263 (steel anchoring) and SIA 380/1 (energy U ≤ 0.17 W/m²K) documented from the works — procedure-ready for the City and Canton of Zurich.

ESV at FOEN/FOPH — the Swiss counterpart to GenTG

BSL-3 in Switzerland requires notification under the Containment Ordinance (ESV) to FOEN (Federal Office for the Environment, BAFU) and FOPH (Federal Office of Public Health, BAG). We supply a risk assessment, safety concept and complete application documents in Swiss form — not GenTSV/BVL.

Swissmedic for GMP and therapeutic products

GMP pilot containers for pharmaceutical production in Switzerland are inspected not by the German BfArM but by Swissmedic Bern (Therapeutic Products Act, HMG). We supply IQ/OQ/PQ documentation and cleanroom validation that is Swissmedic-ready — suitable for pharmaceutical groups, their suppliers and all Swiss biotech spin-offs.

How Planexus builds your container laboratory in Zurich

Five steps, one point of contact — from the first sketch to customs-cleared handover.

We listen

Requirements workshop on site in Zurich or by video. Which biosafety level, which site (Hönggerberg, Irchel, Rämistrasse, Rotkreuz), which SIA standard, which date, T1 purchase or ATA rental.

We plan

CAD layout, building services, structural design to SIA 261/263, energy to SIA 380/1. PBG-compliant building documents for the City of Zurich Building Permit Office — procedure-ready from day one.

We build

Module prefabrication at our certified Polish partner, final assembly and interior fit-out at the Albstadt works with Wesemann furniture. SIA 380/1 insulation, T13/T15 electrical connection and QC before dispatch.

We clear customs and deliver

T1 transit or ATA Carnet from the Albstadt works, clearance at the Thayngen customs office. Heavy haulage A81 → A4 → A1 (150 km, one transport day). Installation by mobile crane. Connection of all utilities, function and leak tests before handover.

We hand over

IQ/OQ/PQ documentation, Swissmedic-ready. Training for your operators. Maintenance options up to 24 months — extendable on request.

FAQ — Lab containers for Zurich

Seven questions, seven answers. Direct, without marketing speak.

How long does it take to deliver a lab container from the Albstadt works to Zurich?

The heavy-haulage route from the Albstadt works to Zurich runs south on the A81 via Singen, through the Thayngen/Schaffhausen border crossing with customs clearance, then the A4 to Winterthur and the A1 to Zurich. Driving time is around 2.5 hours over approximately 150 kilometres. Customs clearance at the Thayngen border (Swiss frontier) is handled under the T1 transit procedure with an ATA Carnet or direct import clearance — we co-ordinate the entire process. Standard delivery points are the Zurich-Nord (A1) junction for Hönggerberg and Irchel, Zurich-Brunau (A3) for the Rämistrasse hill, and Zurich-City for Hardstrasse. From order to operational handover in Zurich takes 8 to 14 weeks.

Which permits do I need for a lab container in the Canton of Zurich?

The governing instruments are the Planungs- und Baugesetz (PBG, Planning and Building Act of the Canton of Zurich), the Allgemeine Bauverordnung (ABV, General Building Ordinance) and the City of Zurich’s Bau- und Zonenordnung (BZO, Building and Zoning Ordinance). Containers are treated as buildings and installations; a building permit (Baubewilligung) is required in most cases. For the City of Zurich the competent authority is the Amt für Baubewilligungen (Building Permit Office) at Lindenhofstrasse 19, 8001 Zurich. Temporary siting of under three months may, depending on the site, be possible under a simplified notification. For GMP, BSL-2 and BSL-3 containers, the Einschliessungsverordnung (ESV, Containment Ordinance) for genetically modified installations and the Heilmittelgesetz (HMG, Therapeutic Products Act) with Swissmedic competence also apply. We classify your site in advance and submit procedure-ready building documents for city and canton.

Which seismic requirements apply to lab containers in Zurich under SIA 261?

Under SIA 261, Zurich lies in seismic zone Z1a — the lowest seismic zone in Switzerland. By comparison, Valais, Basel and the Engadin lie in Z2 to Z3b. For Z1a the horizontal design ground acceleration is 0.6 m/s² (agd). Container laboratories are usually classified in Bauwerksklasse I (BWK I, ordinary buildings); BSL-3 containers and pharmaceutical pilot plants may, depending on risk, be raised to BWK II, which requires higher safety factors. Planexus supplies containers for Zurich that are structurally verified to SIA 261, with an anchoring concept to SIA 263 (steel construction) from the Albstadt works — not DIN alone, because DIN structural calculations by themselves are not accepted in the Swiss permit procedure.

How do customs clearance and VAT work for a lab container entering Switzerland?

Switzerland is not part of the EU Customs Union. We clear goods under the T1 transit procedure from the Albstadt works, with processing at the Thayngen (CH) or Schaffhausen customs office. Permanent import attracts Swiss VAT of 8.1 per cent (as at 2026). Temporary import (for example a rental container for a clinical study) can be cleared under temporary admission with an ATA Carnet — in that case no VAT is due, but a customs security deposit is required. We co-ordinate with Swiss forwarders and customs agents and prepare all documents in full (commercial invoice, packing list, EUR.1 movement certificate, T1). The customer receives a customs-cleared delivery, free domicile, in Zurich.

Do the containers meet the Swiss energy requirement SIA 380/1?

SIA 380/1 (thermal energy in buildings) and MuKEn 2014/2025 (Model Cantonal Energy Regulations) are stricter in Switzerland than the German Buildings Energy Act (GEG). For Zurich installations with six months or more of continuous operation we size the sandwich outer envelope at the works to U-values ≤ 0.17 W/m²K (wall and roof), triple glazing with U ≤ 1.0 W/m²K and heat recovery with an efficiency of ≥ 75 per cent. Our LABtoGO modules therefore meet the Canton of Zurich minimum requirement without retrospective insulation. Minergie or Minergie-P standards are available on request.

Which electrical connection is required in Switzerland (T13/T15, 230 V/400 V)?

The Swiss low-voltage network, like the German one, operates at 230 V (single-phase) and 400 V (three-phase) at 50 Hz — electrically the installations are compatible. The sockets differ: SEV 1011 with plug type T13 (10 A, single-phase) and T15/T25 (16 A, three-phase). We fit Zurich containers at the works with T13/T15 sockets; CEE industrial sockets 16 A and 32 A are identical to Germany. The building connection is made by a Swiss electrical installer with NIN 2020 approval — we supply all schematics and wiring diagrams to Swiss standard. The connection certificate is issued by the local installer.

Which applications are particularly in demand in Zurich?

Zurich is Switzerland’s second-largest pharma-biotech location after Basel. Typical uses for lab containers arise around universities (natural sciences, chemistry, biology, mechanical engineering) — BSL-2 third-party-funded containers; natural-science and medical campus sites — cleanroom and study containers; university hospitals — BSL-2 study laboratories during hospital refurbishments; pharmaceutical and diagnostics sites in the surrounding region — GMP pilot containers; and technology parks and biotech spin-offs — containers for research and small-series production.

Complimentary site audit

Send us your Zurich site and your laboratory profile

Within 48 hours we deliver: a site assessment, a container configuration with dimensions and specifications, the permit path under PBG ZH, a customs strategy (T1 or ATA Carnet), a delivery and installation date, and an indicative investment bracket in CHF.

Direct contact

Phone

+49 7435 7519 700

info@planexus.de

Works & headquarters (150 km via A81 + Thayngen)

Emil-Mayer-Straße 1
72461 Albstadt (DE)

Factory visit

We show you your container during manufacture — including SIA 380/1 insulation and the T13/T15 electrical connection before dispatch. By appointment.

Write to us

Container laboratory Zurich

Lab containers Zurich — Albstadt factory visit and site audit

We manufacture LABtoGO to order at the Albstadt works — SIA structural design, SIA 380/1 insulation and T13/T15 electrical connection pre-configured at the factory. Factory visits available at any time; complimentary site audit including customs strategy.

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