The Rosental Tower in Basel will open later

At the Messeplatz in Basel, the start of construction on the Rosentalturm has been postponed once again. Demolition of the existing exhibition centre car park is now set to begin only after the Autumn Fair and the Baloise Session, whilst the building permit from the Canton of Basel-Stadt is still pending and the car park will remain in operation for the time being.

This means the deadline once again falls within the period around the exhibition centre when traffic and events are particularly busy. Although the project page still generally states that construction is scheduled to start in 2026, the MCH Group currently expects work to begin in November 2026. Until then, the existing exhibition centre car park at the site will remain in operation.

Plans call for a new 93-metre-high building to be constructed in its place, comprising 410 rental flats and an underground car park. The project was designed by Herzog & de Meuron and is being developed and implemented in collaboration with HRS. The Canton of Basel-Stadt is both the grantor of the building lease and the licensing authority, meaning that the pending planning application remains crucial to the further timetable.

Events set the pace
The postponement has direct operational consequences for the exhibition district. The Basel Autumn Fair 2026 will take place at Messeplatz and Rosentalanlage from 24 October to 8 November, whilst the Baloise Session is scheduled to run from 15 October to 5 November in the Event Hall at Messe Basel. Starting construction after these dates will minimise conflicts with set-up, operations and visitor flows in the vicinity of Messeplatz.

This is relevant for event operations because no multi-storey car park will be available at Messeplatz during the construction phase. The multi-storey car park at Badischer Bahnhof is therefore designated as the official trade fair car park. As regards public transport, the project currently assumes that tram services will generally continue to operate. A protective tunnel is planned to safeguard the tracks; however, short-term restrictions remain possible in individual cases.

Completion is still scheduled for 2030
The Rosentalturm is one of the major residential development projects at a key inner-city location in Basel. Completion of the building complex, including the new underground exhibition centre car park, is still scheduled for 2030. For the market, this further delay primarily means that 410 additional rental flats at Messeplatz will come onto the market later than originally expected.