Messe Basel’s multi-storey car park at the Rosentalanlage will be replaced by a new building with uses, flats and offices that serve the neighbourhood. The parking spaces required for the exhibition and congress operations will be relocated to several basement levels.
Based on the legally valid development plan, which envisages a densification with higher buildings, seven architectural firms from Basel and Zurich were invited to take part in an anonymous project competition for the planned new Rosentalturm building at the beginning of 2022 in collaboration with the Bau- und Verkehrsdepartement (Building and Transport) of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. This ensured that the new development would be carried out with a high-grade architectural and economical project and in accordance with a convincing urban development concept.
On 20 December, a jury of various national experts chaired by Frauenfeld architect Thomas Hasler made its decision.
As an urban cluster, the exhibition centre, together with the locations of the life science industry and the densification around the SBB railway station, is already an essential structural element within the city of Basel. The project design aims to further strengthen these qualities. With the planned new uses, the exhibition site will become a lively and diversified centre in Kleinbasel, even outside exhibition opening hours.
The design consists of three buildings, a high-rise slab facing Messeplatz, a low-rise building along Riehenstrasse and a pavilion that occupies a new public open space between the tower and the longitudinal building.
The new public green space within the project perimeter extends the current Rosentalanlage by a loosely planted grove of trees. The park, which has shrunk over many decades, will be enlarged. It allows for new path connections. With its low longitudinal structure, the project successfully mediates between the large-scale exhibition buildings and the smaller-scale neighbourhood development.
The project successfully mediates between the large-scale exhibition buildings and the smaller-scale neighbourhood development.
The high-rise building is vertically divided into three volumes. These are oriented to the heights of the surrounding buildings. Green sun terraces are created through descending steps. Under shady planting, there are adjoining communal spaces that enable local neighbourhoods for the residents.
In addition to around 4,500 m2 of public and semi-public commercial space at square and street level and on the floors directly above, the project is characterised by a diverse mix of flats (2.0 to 5.5 room flats as well as communal living) with a total of around 350 flats. Of these, around 100 flats are planned in the budget-priced segment. This will create living space for a broad target group.
The project meets high standards in terms of density of use, energy, and resources. Important criteria are a low environmental impact from construction and operation, a substantial contribution to urban heat reduction, biodiversity and species diversity, as well as a high level of comfort and a healthy indoor climate.
All competition entries are expected to be presented to the public at a vernissage in February / March 2023. In the coming year, the present project will be further developed into a building application with the aim of starting realisation in 2024.
The Rosentalturm project will be developed, financed and realised in a cooperation between MCH Group and the real-estate service provider HRS Real Estate AG. On behalf of MCH Group, HRS was already responsible as a total contractor for the realisation of Hall 1 South, which went into operation in 2013. For the Rosentalturm project it is responsible for the overall management of the further project development, the search for and selection of investors, and the realisation and marketing.