P13

Scope: Architect, building permit
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Client: Private
Type: Residential
Program: Apartments
Size: 1000 m2
Status: Completed in 2020
Team: Patrice Gruner, Rahul Girish

CONTEXT

This adaptive reuse project transforms a former antique boutique into a residential building. The original edifice was built in 1895.  Located close to the city center, it sits on the town’s main street. GRUNER&FRIENDS were the lead designers on this project for the permit plans.

CONCEPT

GRUNER&FRIENDS revitalizes the old structure to breath new life into it and its surroundings. The transformation process was undertaken with a particular attention to its heritage. The overall concept consists in a purification of the architectural language of the building. It was essential to maintain most of the building’s existing characteristics and highlight its uniqueness.

CONTENT

The former antique boutique is converted into a residential complex. The composition of the facade is achieved through a simplification of its grid. The facade materials were refined to highlight the geometric shape of the building. In the interiors, the living spaces are designed to face the busy street below while the bedrooms are turned toward the quieter facade. The larger apartments open up to a vast terrace as a continuation of the building.