Remodelling and renovating the St. Alban youth hostel in Basel

With their work on the youth hostel – located in a former silk factory – the architects are meeting measures for urban development and interior space with an extension to the building. Architects: Buchner Bründler Architekten, Basel A timber pedestrian bridge leads over the neighbouring canal to the new entrance on the north side. Vertical oak sections form the outer façade and join together with the older building’s baulk to create a connected wooden bracket around the ensemble. The ground floor of the older building has been completely reorganised. With its arches and supports, the building is laid open and the large entrance hall flows into the lower dining area. The dormitories of the older building are cut off from the hallways by a buffer zone that can be separated off via a sliding door. Exposed concrete, glazed flooring and oak dominate the new building. All modifications have the goal of creating a robust, more haptic materialisation that reflects the history of the building. The picture gallery shows impressions of the details.