The EPFL, on the west part of the Lausanne campus, on the shore of Lake GenevaA building of the University of Lausanne, towards the east of the Lausanne campusThe main library of the EPFL, the Learning CenterThe campus, seen from the west, before the construction of the Swiss Tech Convention Center
The circular "Vortex" building which houses the Olympic village of the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics (it will later become a student residence).
The Lausanne campus or Dorigny university campus (French: campus lausannois or campus de Dorigny) is a large area in Switzerland where the University of Lausanne (UNIL), the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and several other institutions are located. It is in Dorigny, towards the west of Lausanne, on the shores of Lake Geneva. The site is about 2.2 kilometres wide[1] and 31,000 people study and work there.[2]
It is served by Lausanne Metro line 1, from four consecutive stations (UNIL-Chamberonne, UNIL-Mouline, UNIL-Sorge and EPFL), and possesses a bicycle sharing system.
The first building to open on the new campus was the Amphipôle,[4] in October 1970. As of 2013, the campus comprised about sixty buildings.[1] The chief architect of the UNIL campus was Guido Cocchi (1928--2010).[3]
EPFL was officially founded on 1 January 1969 following the passage of the "Loi sur les Ecoles Polytechniques Fédérales"/"Law regarding Federal Polytechnic Institutes" in 1968. (Previously, the university was known as Ecole polytechnique de l'Université de Lausanne.) At that time, EPFL started the process of moving its campus from Lausanne to the new site at Ecublens-Dorigny. The first buildings were inaugurated in 1978 and the last to finish the move was the architecture department in 2001.[5]
The campus is mainly located in the municipality of Écublens, but parts of it are in Chavannes-près-Renens and Saint-Sulpice.[6] The campus has its own postal code: 1015 Lausanne.
The campus also features the Napoleon Oak, a magnificent tree which has stood at its current location since 1800. The tree has been subject to extensive whole genome sequencing.[7][8]
Future developments
The Radio télévision suisse announced its plans to move its Lausanne radio offices to a new building on the campus in 2013. Construction started in 2020 and the move is projected to be completed by 2026.[9][10][11]
↑In addition to that, the UNIL also has campuses in Lausanne (campus of the University Hospital of Lausanne), Épalinges (Center for Immunity and Infection Lausanne) and Prilly (psychiatric hospital).
(in French) Jean-Philippe Leresche, Frédéric Joye-Cagnard, Martin Benninghoff and Raphaël Ramuz, Gouverner les universités. L'exemple de la coordination Genève-Lausanne (1990-2010), Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes, 2012 (ISBN9782880749316).
(in French) Nadja Maillard, L'Université de Lausanne à Dorigny, Éditions Infolio, 488 pages, 2013 (ISBN978-2-88474-280-1).