Upcoming Trade Shows Basel, Switzerland for Architecture

In Basel, architectural innovation thrives, breathing life into the city's ever-evolving urban landscape. From global architectural giants like Christ & Gantenbein to local visionaries like Beck Oser Architekten, Basel continues to push the boundaries of design, blending tradition with modernity to create a harmonious architectural symphony. Let’s look at two projects that truly embody this dichotomy. Basel has a rich architectural heritage that Swiss architects are heavily invested in protecting even in the construction of new buildings. Esch Sintzel Architekten has done exactly this with the conversion of the former Coop wine storage into new housing. Located in Basel's Lysbüchel neighborhood, the wine storage used to be a symbol of the city’s industrial past, which has been kept alive by keeping the existing columns. In fact, the studio highlighted the robust, iconic columns by keeping them exposed as well as using different methods to stage them. Most impressive are the addition of the 'rues intérieures', internal streets that connect the apartments and create the experience of a city within the housing project. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the ultra-modernist structure of the Datacube designed by FFBK Architects. It’s a data storage center for Quickline, boasting the title of the most advanced data storage center in Switzerland. This imposing abstract building is encased in a shell of solid steel panels and perforated steel panels. The effect is a sleek, polished façade that reflects the sky and its surrounding environment. The reflective surface also performs a secondary function of keeping the building cool and lowering heating costs, which is exceptionally important to keep the equipment inside running. The studio placed simplicity and sustainability as top priorities as the data center needed to appear nondescript. They certainly succeeded as the building is camouflaged in its rural location and energy consumption has been measured at 10 kilowatts per sq. meter.