Mixed Use
Over 410 flats will provide a wide variety of living arrangements for singles, couples, families and flat-sharing communities, ensuring a sustainable, socially diverse and intergenerational mix; approximately 80 flats, ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 rooms will be offered at an affordable rate. The floor area of these larger units, which are suitable for families, complies with the requirements of the development plan. All apartments are provided with direct access to private outdoor space. The ground floor of the tower will be home to locally based small and medium-sized business and start-ups. With this mix of residential, small business, cultural and recreational uses, the site will become a lively and versatile center of Kleinbasel alongside the fluctuating program and audiences of the convention center.
Volumes and Context
The design consists of three buildings. The tower directly facing Messeplatz, the longitudinal building along Riehenstrasse and a pavilion that occupies the newly created public open space in between. The tower responds to the urban scale of the surrounding high-rise buildings and the exhibition hall, while the five-storey longitudinal building and its two recessed attic storeys correspond to the perimeter development along Riehenstrasse.
The Rosentalturm is designed with three vertically stacked sections, each aligning with the heights of nearby buildings. This design provides spacious terraces for residents. Next to these outdoor areas, communal spaces with shade plantings serve as local gathering spots, fostering community interaction; these large green outdoor areas are irrigated with collected rainwater.
Impact and Circularity
The project meets high demands in terms of sustainability, energy and resources. Important criteria include minimizing the environmental impact of construction and operation, combined with a high level of comfort and a healthy indoor climate. The project aims to make a substantial contribution to urban heat reduction while strengthening biodiversity. A significant proportion of the buildingâs energy requirements are covered by photovoltaic panels integrated into the parapets of the façades. By maximizing energy efficiency and using geothermal probes and heat pumps, an important prerequisite for a sustainable energy balance is put in place. Using modularized, material-saving construction systems, where possible made from renewable raw materials, a life cycle-oriented and circular construction method is consistently pursued.
Hybrid Construction
The Rosentalturm is designed using an innovative hybrid timber and concrete construction method that optimizes and reduces the use of materials. The basement floors and the stabilizing access cores are planned in recycled concrete, in which CO2 is bound through carbonation. The recycled demolition waste from the existing car park and the excavated gravel will be used entirely as aggregate for the concrete. On the upper floors, the skeleton of the high-rise building will be supplemented with prefabricated concrete elements. This enables a shorter construction time. The five storeys of the longitudinal building are planned as timber composite construction. The open building structure fulfils a wide range of requirements for different tenantsâ needs and allows a high degree of flexibility for future conversions.
Rosentalturm aims to contribute to a healthier social and ecological climate for the quarter around Messeplatz while minimizing the energy used for construction and operation of the building.