Interior Architecture and Scenography BA

3 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland

Program Overview

The Interior Architecture and Scenography BA at FHNW is a full-time, 6-semester program in German at the Basel Academy of Art and Design, perfect for creative students passionate about shaping public urban spaces that blend indoor and outdoor environments with social relevance, sustainability, and user-focused design. You'll explore space, time, material, light, media, and their impact on people and communities, creating everything from exhibitions and stage sets to future-proof architectural interventions that promote diversity and inclusion.

Curriculum structure
Foundation programme (1st and 2nd semester)
In your first year, you'll dive into the essentials through the ‘Space’ workshop and ‘Scenography’ workshop, experimenting with spatial perception, atmosphere, and design methods in context. You'll build hands-on skills in analyzing how dimensions, colors, materials, and lighting shape experiences for human and non-human users, while presenting your ideas confidently. This phase sets a strong base, helping you transition from theory to practical exploration of functional and communicative spaces.

Main study programme (3rd to 6th semester)
From year two onward, you'll tackle real-world projects applying foundation knowledge to design interior/exterior spaces, exhibitions, and stage sets via practical modules focused on analysis, conceptualization, planning, and documentation. You'll select from two assignments per semester, deepening expertise in supplementary workshops while preparing select designs for public presentation—honing your ability to make content spatially engaging with sound, moving images, and site-specific elements. By graduation, you'll be ready to conceptualize permanent or temporary changes that reflect contemporary social processes.

Focus areas
Sustainable, future-proof spaces linked to social processes, diversity, inclusion, and public urban design; interplay of space, time, material, light, and media; human-centered (and non-human) utilization in exhibitions, stages, and architectural frameworks.

Learning outcomes
Students gain skills to analyze functional relationships in spaces, conceptualize and plan changes (permanent or time-limited), create narrative exhibitions with dramaturgical elements like sound and projections, and design inclusive environments that address social and political activities.

Professional alignment (accreditation)
Accredited as a Bachelor of Arts FHNW in Interior Architecture and Scenography under FHNW's official Study and Examination Regulations for the Basel Academy of Art and Design, structured in modular teaching units with defined competencies, assessments per semester, and recognition across Swiss applied sciences universities.

Reputation (employability rankings)
FHNW's Art and Design programs, including Interior Architecture and Scenography, emphasize practical, research-based training with public presentations and industry collaborations, leading to strong career prospects in sustainable spatial design—part of a top-ranked Swiss university known for innovation in creative fields.

[Official program link](https://www.fhnw.ch/en/art-design/degree-programmes/offerings/programmes/interior_architecture_scenography_ba)

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

In the Interior Architecture and Scenography BA at FHNW's Basel Academy of Art and Design, you'll dive straight into hands-on learning from day one, building practical skills through real-world projects that mirror professional workflows—from researching spaces, analyzing user needs, and conceptualizing designs to creating full-scale models and presentations. In the foundation program's 'Space' and 'Scenography' workshops, you'll experiment with spatial perception, atmosphere, and context-specific design methods, using both analogue and digital tools to bring ideas to life. Plus, every student gets their own 24/7 workspace in spacious studios, with facilities open 365 days a year, so you can iterate and refine your work anytime.

This program equips you with top-tier resources tailored for interior and scenographic design:
- Dedicated workshops: Analogue and digital workshops exclusive to Interior Architecture and Scenography for craft skills, technical mastery, and digital integration.
- Institute support: Part of the Institute of Contemporary Design Practices (ICDP), which houses labs like the Digital Integration Lab, Design Culture Lab, Circular Design Lab, and metaLAB for experimentation, research, and sustainable design practices.
- Central Campus.Workshops: Shared high-end facilities for metal, wood, plastics, and more, right on the HGK Basel campus in Münchenstein near Basel.
- Project-based structure: All projects follow a professional sequence (research/analysis to concept, preliminary project, final project, and documentation), often involving group collaboration on site-specific spatial structures, exhibitions, and narrative stagings.

Imagine turning your passion for space into a career—grads here excel in optimizing atmospheres, functional flows, and immersive exhibitions. Applying is straightforward, and with this setup, you'll graduate ready to lead in the field. Check the full facilities details here: [Campus and Infrastructure](https://www.fhnw.ch/en/art-design/about/campus-infrastructure). Ready to take the next step? Let's chat about your application!

Progression & Future Opportunities

In the Interior Architecture and Scenography BA at FHNW's Basel Academy of Art and Design, you'll dive straight into hands-on learning from day one, exploring space as a design field through workshops in 'Space' and 'Scenography' where you experiment with spatial perception, atmosphere, and context-specific designs. You'll follow a structured process—from research and analysis to concept, preliminary projects, full projects, and documentation—blending scenographic storytelling with architectural planning to create exhibitions, spatial narratives, and functional interiors that respond to real-world sites and user needs. With dedicated facilities like spacious studios offering 24/7 access and program-specific analogue and digital workshops, plus the broader Campus.Workshops for technical skills and digital tools, you'll build practical expertise in a creative environment open 365 days a year.

Here's what makes this program stand out for gaining those real-world skills:
- Your own 24/7 workspace in one of the spacious studios at Campus HGK Basel, giving you unlimited time to develop ideas without restrictions.
- Analogue and digital workshops tailored to Interior Architecture and Scenography, perfect for combining craft techniques with digital know-how—no specific software named, but focused on essential tools for spatial design and production.
- Campus.Workshops for metal, wood, plastics, and more, supporting hands-on experimentation across materials and techniques.
- Access to Institute Contemporary Design Practices (ICDP) labs like the Digital Integration Lab, Design Culture Lab, Circular Design Lab, and metaLAB—open spaces for research, experimentation, and high-quality design projects tied to the program.
- Group-oriented study projects in foundation semesters and beyond, where you'll collaborate on scenography and interior tasks like dramaturgical sequences with sound, moving images, and site-specific structures.
- Prime location in Basel's creative hub at Freilager-Platz 1, Münchenstein, surrounded by galleries, cultural spots, and industry neighbors for inspiration and potential field connections (though specific trips aren't detailed).

Imagine turning your passion for space into a career in exhibitions, interiors, or staging—students here graduate ready to shape environments that people actually experience and love. Applying is your next step to join this vibrant program; check the full facilities details here: [Campus and Infrastructure](https://www.fhnw.ch/en/art-design/about/campus-infrastructure).