The Transitlager warehouse was built in the late 1960s in the Dreispitz industrial zone, which, according to the Herzog & de Meuron master plan, is now being transformed into a multifunctional development area with an enhanced cultural component. The original shapes with spectacular corners and the large size (18,000 m2) made the Transitlager the logical center of the renewed area.
According to BIG's plan, a warehouse made of very high-quality concrete will lose its internal partitions and will be adapted for leasing to galleries, firms of "creative" orientation, for workshops for designers and artists, etc.
On top of the Transitlager will be placed a structure comparable to it in size, repeating its stepped tiers and "angularity". There, on an area of 7000 m2, apartments will be arranged to ensure 7/24 activity in the new complex. Since the zigzag residential "building" does not occupy the entire roof area of the warehouse, the free space will be converted into a "penthouse for the people", a landscaped recreation area with panoramic views of Basel. The area around the Transitlager will also become a public space.
N. F.
