New residential neighbourhood with a focus on families and community building
The planned residential development on the site of Exhibition Hall 3 in Basel, comprising around 170 affordable flats, will be built in a resource-efficient manner by 2031. This is the vision of the winning design by the two Basel-based architectural firms Clauss Kahl Merz Atelier and Truwant Rodet.
According to a statement, the jury of the Canton of Basel-Stadt has decided that the design by the two Basel-based architectural firms Clauss Kahl Merz Atelier für Architektur Städtebau and Truwant Rodet will be implemented. The planned residential development at Riehenring 120 on the former site of Exhibition Hall 3 will comprise 170 affordable flats.
Exhibition Hall 3 is currently used by Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (BVB) as a garage for electric buses. This temporary use will end in 2028. After that, the canton plans to develop this centrally located area into a vibrant residential and living space by 2031. The plans primarily include large, family-friendly flats and a small number of small flats. In addition, a double kindergarten, a daycare centre and commercial premises are planned, as well as 200 parking spaces for tenants and other people from the neighbourhood.
The winning project impressed the jury “with its high quality of living and its contribution to the surrounding neighbourhoods”. Part of the car park will be built above ground. This will create two additional outdoor areas on the roof for tenants, which can also be used as planting gardens.
At the same time, according to the canton, this will make construction more resource-efficient: as less ground needs to be excavated, there will be “no energy-intensive excavation and less building material will be used. In addition, the project as a whole focuses on environmentally friendly construction by reusing various components from the existing Exhibition Hall 3 and the former BVB garage in Rank.”