Market hall Basel

The new residential tower by Diener & Diener Architects is located near Basel SBB railway station and surrounded by large banks and hotels. The intention behind the design was therefore to create a composition that blends in with its surroundings. The twelve-storey, prism-shaped building interacts with its surroundings while still standing on its own. It rises above the red-roofed dome of the market hall, creating an urban accent.

The tower has a pentagonal floor plan. This is the result of the distance regulations for adjacent buildings and the minimisation of shadows. Due to its distorted shape, two or three façades are visible depending on the viewing angle, making the building appear slimmer or wider.

The 45 rental apartments are spacious. There are four apartments on each standard floor, three with three rooms and one with two rooms, all arranged around a central staircase core. On the twelfth floor, there is a spacious four-room apartment and a 184-square-metre five-and-a-half-room apartment.

From the ninth floor upwards, the elevated position of the building on Steinentorberg, together with the wide street space, offers a view over the city roofs to the Rhine. All large windows extend to the floor. The closed panels of the perforated façade are identical in size, while three different window formats alternate rhythmically. The building consists of an extra-high foyer and offices on the first floor.

The cast glass of the façade is reminiscent of early modernist buildings. The black and red mineral coating of the insulation shines through the rear-ventilated elements, creating a unique look. Depending on the weather, the façade elements are reflected in different colours and shine before the viewer's eyes. Sometimes the base appears darker, while the upper floors appear lighter. Or the tower shines from afar, but as you get closer, it looks like the surrounding houses on Viaduktstraße and Centralbahnstraße. Regardless of the viewer's perspective, the tower always blends into its surroundings without competing with the market hall.