Basel

Basel - From Home to the World

As a globally oriented company headquartered in Basel, the MCH Group is deeply rooted in the region – while also being closely connected to international platforms for exchange, culture, and business.

Strategic Importance of the Basel Location

• The Basel location, especially around Messeplatz Basel and the exhibition and congress facilities of Messe and Congress Center Basel, forms an important urban cluster – together with life sciences sites and infrastructure around Basel’s train station and the Basel-Mulhouse Airport.

• With the MesseQuartier Basel initiative, the MCH Group aims to further invigorate this location: public spaces should be used more actively, the quality of stay improved, and the site made more attractive year-round.

• In Basel, the MCH Group operates infrastructure of great importance: five exhibition halls, 25 conference rooms, more than 900,000 visitors annually – a strong foundation for linking events, site development, and the city & economy.

Why the Location Matters to Us

We see Basel not only as an event venue but as a strategic pillar for long-term anchoring and value creation. The expansion of residential, commercial, and open-space uses around our exhibition and congress infrastructure strengthens the region, increases the attractiveness of our location, and creates new synergies between business, urban development, and communication.

Project Rosentalturm

Background & Objective

On the site of the current Messe Basel parking garage, the Rosentalturm will be built – a new development that enhances and enlivens the public space around Messeplatz. Relocating the existing parking spaces underground makes it possible to create above-ground space for new uses and green areas.

Of the total approximately 48,000 m² of above-ground gross floor area, at least 40,000 m² are designated for residential use, offering a diverse mix of apartments for a broad target audience. About 8,000 m² are planned for commercial purposes, particularly for locally rooted SMEs and neighborhood-oriented retail and gastronomy on the ground floor.

The winning design “Rooseli” by Herzog & de Meuron emerged unanimously from the anonymized architectural competition in December 2022.

Architektur & Qualitäten

The project comprises three main buildings; a tower facing Messeplatz, an elongated structure along Riehenstrasse, and a pavilion that activates the new public open space between the tower and the longitudinal building.

The adjacent Rosentalanlage park will be extended with a loosely planted grove of trees – regaining green space that had been reduced over decades. Overall, about 410 apartments of various sizes and around 1,700 m² of retail and gastronomy space will be created. The underground parking garage will provide 600 to 750 spaces, publicly accessible outside of trade fair times.

The goal is sustainable, vibrant urban development with high design and recreational quality: a place that connects living, working, encounters, and green spaces – and enlivens Messeplatz even outside of event days.

Sustainability & Construction

The Rosentalturm is being planned and built according to high sustainability standards. The focus is on resource-efficient construction, the reduction of CO₂ emissions, and a landscaped environment featuring a new inner courtyard.

Measures to mitigate heat, promote biodiversity, and use an energy-saving combination of timber-hybrid and material-efficient concrete construction all contribute to an environmentally friendly urban landscape. In addition, shadow and wind analyses are being conducted to ensure comfort in the surrounding open spaces.

The healthy existing trees will be largely preserved; however, three trees and smaller shrubs along Riehenstrasse must be removed and will be compensated for through replacement plantings. The new landscape design will add a large number of new trees and plantings to the neighborhood.

Construction Process & Impact

During the construction period, the existing parking garage will be dismantled. The exhibition halls will not be affected by the construction work, and trade fair and event operations can continue as usual.

Alternative parking and access solutions using existing infrastructure are being evaluated to ensure the continuation of trade fair operations. Close coordination between MCH Group, HRS, and the cantonal authorities guarantees a smooth process.

Construction is expected to take approximately four years, with completion currently scheduled for 2030.

Mobility & Parking

The building application provides for 731 parking spaces - around 400 fewer than the maximum number permitted under the development plan. During the construction phase, temporary parking alternatives will be evaluated. After completion, the parking spaces will be available to the public and neighborhood residents whenever they are not required for trade fair operations.

The project also includes a mobility concept featuring car-sharing, charging stations, and microtransport solutions. Any adjustments to public transport will be coordinated with the relevant authorities.

Chronologie (Auswahl)

Project Partners

The project is being realized in close collaboration between:

• MCH Exhibitions & Events GmbH as leaseholder,

• HRS Real Estate AG ss developer and general contractor (with full cost, quality, and schedule guarantees)

• Canton of Basel-Stadt as landowner and permitting authority.

Importance for the Location

With the Rosentalturm, the MCH Group is making an important contribution to the urban development around Messeplatz Basel: the location is being redefined not just as a trade fair and event infrastructure, but as a vibrant urban district with housing, commerce, and public spaces. The project secures the site’s long-term future, creates value for the region, and demonstrates how infrastructure and urban development can go hand in hand.