402 Herzog & de Meuron Complete Stadtcasino Basel

BASEL, SWITZERLAND, 17 June 2020 – Herzog & de Meuron’s extension of the 19th century Stadtcasino Basel is now complete. Starting with an urban study in 2012, the project vision is based on interconnected strategies including restoration, preservation and new construction. The result is not simply a building, but the creation of a new public space in the historical context of the Barfüsserplatz.

The core component of the project—the Stehlin Musiksaal of 1876—is one of the oldest and most important concert halls in Europe, known internationally for its exceptional acoustics and refined listening experience. Originally conceived as a palazzo, it is uncoupled from the Casino of 1939 and treated as an autonomous building. This separation reinstates a lane between the buildings, forming a direct connection between Steinenberg and Barfüsserplatz.

The new extension, accommodating foyers, bars, dressing rooms and service facilities, emerges from the old as if it has always been there; at first sight it appears to be in the same neo-Baroque architectural tradition, yet the solid masonry of the historical façade has been reconstructed to the original scale with digital technologies in a contemporary cladding of wood.

The Stadtcasino is now complete, bringing together neo-Baroque and contemporary elements to create a new type of architecture in this key location at the centre of Basel, ready to host public concerts again in the coming months.

STADTCASINO BASEL

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