diff --git a/ci/docker/Dockerfile.build b/ci/docker/Dockerfile.app
similarity index 79%
rename from ci/docker/Dockerfile.build
rename to ci/docker/Dockerfile.app
index 64f52201..cf6d4091 100644
--- a/ci/docker/Dockerfile.build
+++ b/ci/docker/Dockerfile.app
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-FROM ubuntu:22.04 as builder
+ARG IMG
+FROM $IMG as builder
 
 COPY . /helloworld/src
 
@@ -9,7 +10,3 @@ RUN apt-get update \
   && cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/opt/hello ../src \
   && make -j$(cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep '^processor' | wc -l) install \
   && make install
-
-FROM ubuntu:22.04
-COPY --from=builder /opt/hello /opt/helloworld
-
diff --git a/ci/docker/Dockerfile.base b/ci/docker/Dockerfile.base
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..856204fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/docker/Dockerfile.base
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+ARG IMG_BASE
+FROM $IMG_BASE as builder
+
+ENV NUM_PROCS=4
+
+ARG TARGET
+RUN spack-install-helper --target $TARGET \
+    "git" "cmake" "gmake" "valgrind" "python"
+
+# end of builder container, now we are ready to copy necessary files
+
+# copy only relevant parts to the final container
+ARG IMG_HELPER
+FROM $IMG_HELPER
+
+# it is important to keep the paths, otherwise your installation is broken
+# all these paths are created with the above `spack-install-helper` invocation
+COPY --from=builder /opt/spack-environment /opt/spack-environment
+COPY --from=builder /opt/software /opt/software
+COPY --from=builder /opt/._view /opt/._view
+COPY --from=builder /etc/profile.d/z10_spack_environment.sh /etc/profile.d/z10_spack_environment.sh
+
+# Some boilerplate to get all paths correctly - fix_spack_install is part of the base image
+# and makes sure that all important things are being correctly setup
+RUN fix_spack_install
+
diff --git a/ci/pipeline.yml b/ci/pipeline.yml
index 0c385618..ed07a0ac 100644
--- a/ci/pipeline.yml
+++ b/ci/pipeline.yml
@@ -2,25 +2,86 @@ include:
   - remote: 'https://gitlab.com/cscs-ci/recipes/-/raw/master/templates/v2/.ci-ext.yml'
 
 stages:
-  - build
+  - build_base
+  - build_app
+  - build_multiarch
   - test
 
-variables:
-  PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME: $CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/helloworld:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
 
-build_job:
-  stage: build
-  extends: .container-builder
+build_base_image_x86_64:
+  extends: .container-builder-cscs-zen2
+  stage: build_base
+  before_script:
+    - export BASE_IMG_TAG_X86_64=x86_64-`cat ci/docker/Dockerfile.base | sha256sum - | head -c 16`
+    - export PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME=$CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/baseimg:$BASE_IMG_TAG_X86_64
+    - echo "BASE_IMG_TAG_X86_64=$BASE_IMG_TAG_X86_64" > build.env
+  artifacts:
+    reports:
+      dotenv: build.env
   variables:
-    DOCKERFILE: ci/docker/Dockerfile.build
+    DOCKERFILE: ci/docker/Dockerfile.base
+    CSCS_REBUILD_POLICY: "if-not-exists"
+    DOCKER_BUILD_ARGS: '["IMG_BASE=ghcr.io/eth-cscs/docker-ci-ext/base-containers/spack-base:spack0.21.0-ubuntu22.04-cpu", "IMG_HELPER=ghcr.io/eth-cscs/docker-ci-ext/base-containers/spack-helper:ubuntu22.04-cpu", "TARGET=alps-zen2"]'
 
-test_job:
+build_base_image_aarch64:
+  extends: .container-builder-cscs-gh200
+  stage: build_base
+  before_script:
+    - export BASE_IMG_TAG_AARCH64=aarch64-`cat ci/docker/Dockerfile.base | sha256sum - | head -c 16`
+    - export PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME=$CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/baseimg:$BASE_IMG_TAG_AARCH64
+    - echo "BASE_IMG_TAG_AARCH64=$BASE_IMG_TAG_AARCH64" > build.env
+  artifacts:
+    reports:
+      dotenv: build.env
+  variables:
+    DOCKERFILE: ci/docker/Dockerfile.base.aarch64
+    CSCS_REBUILD_POLICY: "if-not-exists"
+    DOCKER_BUILD_ARGS: '["IMG_BASE=ghcr.io/eth-cscs/docker-ci-ext/base-containers/spack-base:spack0.21.0-ubuntu22.04-cuda12.4.1", "IMG_HELPER=ghcr.io/eth-cscs/docker-ci-ext/base-containers/spack-helper:ubuntu22.04-cuda12.4.1", "TARGET=alps-gh200"]'
+
+
+build_app_image_x86_64:
+  extends: .container-builder-cscs-zen2
+  stage: build_app
+  variables:
+    DOCKERFILE: ci/docker/Dockerfile.app
+    PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME: $CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/appimg:x86_64-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
+    DOCKER_BUILD_ARGS: '["IMG=$CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/baseimg:$BASE_IMG_TAG_X86_64]'
+
+
+build_app_image_aarch64:
+  extends: .container-builder-cscs-zen2
+  stage: build_app
+  variables:
+    DOCKERFILE: ci/docker/Dockerfile.app
+    PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME: $CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/appimg:aarch64-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
+    DOCKER_BUILD_ARGS: '["IMG=$CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/baseimg:$BASE_IMG_TAG_AARCH64]'
+
+
+build multiarch image:
+  stage: build_multiarch
+  extends: .make-multiarch-image
+  variables:
+    PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME_X86_64: "$CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/appimg:x86_64-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA"
+    PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME_AARCH64: "$CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/appimg:aarch64-$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA"
+    PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME: "$CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/appimg:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA"
+
+
+test_x86_64:
+  stage: test
+  extends: .container-runner-eiger-mc
+  image: $CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/appimg:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
+  script:
+    - /helloworld/build/hello
+  variables:
+    SLURM_JOB_NUM_NODES: 2
+    USE_MPI: ‘YES’
+
+test_aarch64:
   stage: test
-  extends: .container-runner-daint-gpu
-  image: $PERSIST_IMAGE_NAME
+  extends: .container-runner-todi-gh200
+  image: $CSCS_REGISTRY_PATH/appimg:$CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA
   script:
-    - /opt/helloworld/bin/hello
+    - /helloworld/build/hello
   variables:
     SLURM_JOB_NUM_NODES: 2
-    SLURM_PARTITION: normal
-    SLURM_NTASKS: 2
+    USE_MPI: ‘YES’
diff --git a/hello.cpp b/hello.cpp
index 7aa2f013..032768fd 100644
--- a/hello.cpp
+++ b/hello.cpp
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         std::cerr << "Error getting hostname" << std::endl;
         return 1;
     }
-    std::cout << "New hello from " << hostname << std::endl;
+    std::cout << "New hello from " << hostname << " and RJ (bla)" << std::endl;
 
     return 0;
 }