402 Stadtcasino Basel Reopens to the Public with a Concert

BASEL, SWITZERLAND, 22 August 2020 – The Stadtcasino Basel has officially reopened to the public. The Stehlin Musiksaal of 1876 – one of the oldest concert halls in Europe and internationally known for its acoustics – has been renovated and complemented with a new extension. Herzog & de Meuron started with an urban study in 2012 and completed restoration, preservation and new construction in June 2020. Today, the Basel Casino Society welcomed guests inside the new public space of the Stadtcasino with an opening concert by the Basel Symphony Orchestra. The revived and reopened 19th century Stadtcasino Basel will again delight its guests with a distinguished program of concerts and cultural events.

The new extensions grows out of the old building as if it had always been there, generating space on several levels to accommodate foyers, bars, rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms and service facilities required for the contemporary needs of the Musiksaal. Outside, the focus is on simulation in designing the extension of the Stadtcasino, while inside the stylistic elements of the 19th century are heightened by the artificiality of form, material, and color. With the top priority of preserving the hall’s acoustic properties, Herzog & de Meuron opened up the skylight and the windows again, re-created the original seating, reduced the incline of the balcony, laid a duplicate of the original parquet flooring, and restored the color scheme of 1905.

STADTCASINO BASEL