In the past couple of decades, the Swiss city of Basel has turned into a fast-growing urban metropolis spanning three countries at once. The city has financially and infrastructurally merged with the surrounding smaller towns in France and Germany, drawing in commuters on a daily basis. The open borders between the three countries and the growing economy have also attracted a large number of skilled foreign workers. Today over one third of the population of the city consists of foreign nationals. The steadily growing population of the metropolitan area, soon to reach one million inhabitants, has led to a shortage of living space. The residential development on Vogesenstrasse 21, 23 and 25, just as many other projects throughout the city, has reacted to this demand for accommodation.
Located next to the old town, near the banks of the Rhine river, the plot of land was occupied until recently by small workshops and temporary student housing, a large part of which was uninhabited. The existing buildings had little to no architectural or historical value, and were approved by the city council for demolition. Realizing the potential for development, the erection of three blocks of flats was planned between 2014 and 2017. In an effort to ensure a sustainable building ground, the brownfield land, contaminated by its industrial use over the past 100 years, was painstakingly remediated.
The project evolved from the architects’ ideas for clean lines, generous and functional interior and exterior spaces, and maximum light through floor-to-ceiling glass walls on the entire garden side of all three buildings. The façade facing the street responds to the existing architecture of the neighborhood, with traditional windows in a large plastered wall, offering comfort and insulation for the inhabitants. The geometry of this facade, inspired by a paper cut-out, works by slightly deforming the stacked floors against one another, actively choosing not to stand out, but instead to complement the urban picture of the street.
The rear building stands in the middle of the garden. Its glass walls, covering all seven sides of its heptagon-shaped floor plan, are complemented by sliding metal shutters and soft external shades. The structure comprises clearly marked layers of visible floor slabs and glass in between. The roof houses six individual terraces, each with its own kitchen, direct access to the apartment underneath, and a view to the city. At the heart of the building, central to the project both literally and metaphorically, lies the main staircase. It is conceived as a uniting element, wrapping around a large open space connecting the four floors. The stairs have an undecorated, industrial look, with a black asphalt floor, bare concrete walls, and white metal plates as railing. The circular windows perforating the flat ceiling plane filter light through the cavernous space. Every point in this communal zone is open and visible from all floors above and below, serving as a meeting point for the inhabitants of the 22 apartments.