Elephant
Competition 2nd round
2021
Basel, Switzerland
Residential building
After the extension of streetcar line 3 past the perimeter, the former area with reversing loop and listed bus shelter will be replayable. A design is proposed that deals carefully with its immediate and indirect context. At the same time, an accent is set to complete the settlement as an ensemble and to help it achieve a new identity.
The three-aisle row building along Burgfelderstrasse is decisive in terms of urban planning. It is flush with a network of paths on the inside and follows the building line on the outside with sculpturally designed front facades. By means of noise protection loggias facing Burgfelderstrasse, the south façade - in clear distinction to the other houses of the development - can convey a public impression towards the neighborhood. On the northeast side, generous private loggias will be created to serve as retreats for the residents.In order to do justice to the spatial program and not to have to develop the volume too much in width, the new building is pushed very close to the former streetcar waiting hall. And joins with it to form a structure, so that it becomes a dovetailing of old and new. The building is divided vertically into three areas. In the style of the modernist low-rise building, a flat body develops on the first floor towards the rear courtyard. This is where the kindergarten is located. A lush, sunny but also shady garden towards the south is created.
On the other side of the kindergarten, a chaussierte settlement yard is created, which enriches the existing network of paths in the second row with new stopping quality. In the shaft of the new building the care of the residents and the 1-2 room apartments find place. In the first attic, the 3-4 room apartments are located along a wide terrace, so that children can play close to the apartments under the supervision of their parents. The four existing yew trees close to the streetcar station will be demolished and replaced by taller shady plantings. They mediate between the jump in scale between the neighborhood and the new building and invite people to linger under dense crowns.
