Located in Basel’s
upcoming Dreispitz neighborhood, which is envisioned as an attractive and
inviting urban quarter in Herzog de Meuron's master plan from 2003, the
existing 18.000 m2 ”Transitlager” built in the late 1960s is to be renovated and
extended by up to 7.000 m2 for residential and arts related purposes. The
development is undertaken by Basel-based real estate group Nüesch Development
for the Christoph Merian Foundation with the assistance of
the UBS investment company Balintra AG.
The Transitlager’s surrounding industrial area is characterized by the
geometries of infrastructures - the intersecting railways, loading docks and
turning radiuses that weave through the city and create a puzzle of linear
buildings with pointy corners and staggered façade lines into an untraditional
and adventurous urban area consisting of galleries, restaurants and creative
businesses. The iconic character of the existing Transitlager, its generous
surrounding public spaces, and connection to the city’s botanical garden makes
the building a natural focal point of the Arts District. By re-programming and
extending the former warehouse into a multifunctional series of floors for
various uses, BIG proposes a cross breed of art, commerce, working and living.
Two distinct buildings on top of each other form a mixed-use hybrid with
activity and life 24 hours a day.