Basel is lowering a ramp into the water

Construction has begun at the Dreispitz, transforming disused railway infrastructure into a 170-metre-long natural swimming pool. The ‘Gleispool’ is costing 8.8 million Swiss francs, is due to open in summer 2027 and marks a significant step in the redevelopment of the approximately 50-hectare site.

With the start of construction at the Dreispitz, the redevelopment of the site is moving from the planning stage into reality. A disused railway ramp there is being transformed into a 170-metre-long natural swimming pool, with the removed rails being reused along the perimeter of the pool as the supporting structure for the wooden jetty.

The project is more than just a leisure initiative. The ‘Gleispool’ is part of the ongoing transformation of the approximately 50-hectare Dreispitz site, which Basel and Münchenstein are redeveloping in phases in collaboration with the Christoph Merian Foundation. The pool occupies a former transport area on the ‘Kulturmeile’ and demonstrates how open space, recreational areas and new uses are to be integrated into the existing fabric.

Re-Use is being built
The investment costs amount to 8.8 million Swiss francs. The facility is due to open in summer 2027. The plan is to create a natural swimming pool with sports and leisure areas within a former railway ramp. According to the project specifications, the depth in the swimming area reaches up to 4.5 metres. The reuse of the existing infrastructure is not a minor detail, but rather the defining design principle of the project.

Biological rather than chemical
The Gleispool is to be operated without chemical additives. Water purification is carried out biologically via multi-stage filters containing sediment and plants. The surrounding area has also been designed with functionality in mind. Ground structures and planting follow the ‘sponge city’ principle, enabling water to be stored, evaporated and allowed to seep away locally.

Open space for the new Dreispitz
The facility is particularly relevant to the site’s development because it does not merely illustrate a future use, but actually anticipates it in concrete terms. The Dreispitz was long used for logistics and commercial purposes. Now, a disused ramp is being transformed into a public leisure and sports venue in the heart of an area that is set to be gradually densified, greened and put to mixed-use.