The project, which came into being for a competition, entailed building up one of the last plots of land in a residential quarter of Basel that dates back to the 19th century. The housing units are bound to each other to form a whole. Their shape ties in with the architecture of a neighbouring building, the Bethesda Hospital, and to the topography of the plot in its downward slope to the Birsig River. Built on the plot’s upper part located along the street, the apartment block leaves the lower part (the park and riverbanks) untouched. The underlying orthogonal composition brings to mind Alvar Aalto’s National Pensions building (Helsinki 1952-1956). The horizontal balconies and large openings form gaps enabling us to see through this linear structure, while the overall angular shape divides the different parts into tiers. Meanwhile, the back of the building, which faces the park, appears as a closed wall.
Herzog & de Meuron, 1988
Herzog & de Meuron, 1988
