The new facilities at the Mont-sur-Lausanne site are spread over a north and south campus and include a 400-seat auditorium, new science labs, sound-proofed music practice rooms, a multimedia broadcasting studio, an early childhood centre, library and a new gym.

The expansion doubles ISL’s floor space and “pays particular attention to innovation and space, the pedestrian flow and student safety,” lead architect Hannes Ehrensperger of CCHE Architecture et Design SA, said in a statement.

Founded in 1962 as the English School of Lausanne, ISL teaches the English-language International Baccalaureate (IB) to a current cohort of 820 students of 66 nationalities.

“We thought carefully about what a world-class education would look like for our students who learn, study and who will eventually work in an ever-changing global society,” said ISL director Lyn Cheetham.  

“It became evident that in order to achieve this, we would have to broaden the curriculum and choice of subjects, improve the facilities, and increase and diversify the student cohort.”

The 46-million-franc cost of the new capital project at the not-for-profit school came from bank loans, a school spokeswoman told The Local.