Academy of Art and Design Basel
- Emilia Margaretha
The area on Basel’s periphery known as the Dreispitzareal has been characterized by a homogeneous conglomerate of warehouses and industrial halls. While many of the existing buildings will be adapted to serve new purposes, a small number of new buildings are being erected on the grounds of a former transhipment centre. In this setting, it is a 47-metre-high structure that draws attention from afar to the Academy of Art and Design Basel. The cool facade of polished stainless-steel panels is also intended to create a link to the industrial zone. When viewed from a short distance, the slender components of the building envelope make a supple impression, reminiscent of fabric: the choice of material thickness and installation method of the 30/300 cm sheets create a rippling effect that breaks and reflects the light. The facade concept, with alternating parapet and window strips of varying heights, provides information about the different functions within the building. The first three storeys hold spaces for exhibitions and a cafeteria; these are open to the public. On the floors above, the individual academic departments are organized one per level, an arrangement that fosters communication between students and the teaching staff. On the eighth storey the building culminates in a library. A system of self-supporting wall elements, in combination with hinged columns in the facade and a ribbed concrete floor with a depth of 70 cm, constitutes the load-bearing structure of this new building. To underscore the casual, workshop-like character, the architects decided not to conceal the building services equipment and ductwork: it is suspended from the ceiling. The floor plan’s asymmetrically positioned core contains all of the infrastructure and furnishes a high degree of flexibility in the subdivision of the space. Floor-to-ceiling curtains function as visual partitions. At the same time, they contrast starkly with the sober concrete surfaces of the floors and walls. The limited palette of materials and the unified colour concept in white or black – determined based on the functional requirements of the department – form a neutral backdrop for teaching, learning, researching and practicing art.
