Bridging the past and the future

Venice in Basel

Professional urban developers

Venice in Basel

Science

Building for tomorrow

Long before the first bulldozers rolled onto the Klybeck site to change the neighborhood forever, four renowned architects had met in 2016 to draw up an initial test plan for the site. Likewise, residents also came together to lay out their vision for the future.

Text by Goran Mijuk, photos by Adriano A. Biondo, lllustration by Cyril Gfeller

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Bridging the past and the future

Venice in Basel

Professional urban developers

Published on 11/10/2021

By the time most of the chemical workers had left Klybeck in the summer of 2017, there had already been a significant amount of discussion about the future of the district, which was poised for a revamp.

Four world-renowned architecture teams had been closely involved in these discussions and had been working since 2016 to develop new concepts and ideas as part of a test planning project initiated by the city of Basel, Novartis and BASF. This was by no means an easy task.

Ever since the chemical and pharmaceutical industries had settled here, the site was like a wedge in the city’s topography and for decades remained a foreign body in the urban landscape. A dreary industrial stretch of land, so to speak.

A gigantic opportunity

But the creative minds did not shy away from this daunting challenge. German architect Hans Kollhoff, who designed the master plan for Berlin’s Alexanderplatz, among many other projects, was determined not to let this historic opportunity slip: “Entering into negotiations with the two owners to develop a blueprint for the area’s future – not for the next few years, but the next few centuries – presents a huge opportunity for the city. There’s a chance to create something here that could propel Basel into a new era: The city at a tripoint, a haven for artists, or a world-class city of art. The bar is set very high.”

For Klybeck, Kollhoff designed a concept in which the Horburgpark – which today looks somewhat bleak – takes on a vital role. According to his vision, the park, with its beckoning pathways, should be connected to a large square surrounded by high-rise buildings, which would be situated near a proposed harbor. This should, in turn, make Klybeck easily recognizable from afar, enabling the district to radiate its power to the rest of Basel and perhaps even to the wider world.

The Rotterdam team of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture led by architect Ellen van Loon came up with the idea of a cultural mile – a wide street running right through the quarter and leading down to a bridge spanning the Rhine. This so-called Kulturmeile, which always shimmered gold in van Loon’s plans, would give the quarter a distinct character and connect it with the adjacent districts.

According to her plan, small single-family houses are to be built along the Wiese river amidst unspoiled nature. Furthermore, old and new buildings will stand harmoniously side by side in the center of the district along the cultural mile, thus preserving Klybeck’s character as a former industrial hub.

Bridging the past and the future

One of the principal aims of van Loon’s plan was to establish an architectural continuity between past and present: “In the past, it was common to demolish historical buildings to make way for urban development. For Basel, I think it’s important that the city’s long-standing tradition as an industrial and port center is preserved, so that one can feel the different layers of time.” Van Loon – like most other architects and visitors to the Klybeck site – is much taken by the old industrial brick buildings that are now listed on the cantonal heritage register.

Particularly eye-catching are the factory buildings constructed near the Wiese river after World War II by Swiss architects Suter + Suter, which are now in a state of decay, their red façade yet evoking a comfortable familiarity.

Their symmetrical geometry, large windows and gutted interiors invite you to reflect on the old and new, traditional and modern. Looking at them, you inevitably feel reminded of London’s Tate Modern, where Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron constructed a temple dedicated to modern art by hollowing out an old industrial building, giving it an unprecedented elegance. This “industrial chic” has taken the world by storm. Whether the brick buildings on the Klybeck site will ever reach a similar level of appeal remains to be seen.

Venice in Basel

However, there are still many aspects to be addressed and clarified, as Beat Aeberhard, Head of Urban Development and Architecture at the Basel Department of Construction and Transport, pointed out during the test planning: “Of course, these are high-level discussions. That is due to the matter at hand. We are building a new urban quarter in the middle of a densely populated environment with a wide variety of transport and ecological requirements, not to mention the issue of contaminated sites, which will play a key role in further development. But there are even more issues to consider, including the economy, noise pollution and not least the old inventory. How do you deal with all that?”

Despite these uncertainties, the people of Basel didn’t hesitate to give their imagination free rein. Residents and interested parties, together with the Zukunft Klybeck association, brainstormed ideas in a workshop with over 200 participants and brought them to the official test planning as part of a public participation process.

As one might imagine, participants were brimming with ideas. Suggestions ranged from urban green space projects and street kitchens to the establishment of a communal garden, whereas one somewhat unusual idea focused on creating hidden places to give the neighborhood a mystical air. These places, say the proponents of this idea, would serve as a counterweight to modern urban environments where everything is clearly signposted, structured and visible at a glance. Another and even more audacious design envisaged damming the small Wiese river to build a canal system and create something like a Little Venice.

Humbug? Crazy? Not at all. After all, from the very outset, the people wanted to bring their own thoughts and perspectives to the table, according to Christoph Moerikhofer of the Zukunft Klybeck association. “The projects, which had been developed in the workshop, indicate that the public perceives itself as an inherent part of the planning process. We are not amateurs, but we see ourselves as experts – as experts of everyday life.”

In the foreground of the photo: Rita Illien, who works as a landscape architect in Zurich, and Jacques Herzog from the Basel architectural firm Herzog & De Meuron discuss the development plans (2017).

Professional urban developers

This personal approach to Klybeck, shaped by the experiences of everyday life, was also taken up by Basel architect Roger Diener, as he and his team embarked on a redevelopment project as part of the test planning: “Until five years ago, I was playing football on Ackermaetteli. I experienced Klybeck mainly in the silence of a Sunday morning. I used to cast my ballots in polling stations nearby. For me, it was always a lively part of town.”

In Diener’s vision, the central Klybeckplatz – where the staff restaurant of Novartis and its predecessor companies stood for many years – will become a vibrant core in which new things can develop. From here, two streetcar lines and a suburban train line will connect Klybeck to the rest of the city, breaking up the wedge-like character of the district once and for all.

The architectural team AS+P of Albert Speer, which also sees much potential in Klybeck, would like to integrate the formerly “forbidden city” into the urban landscape more by overhauling Horburgpark and incorporating the Wiese river more into the town.

But Albert Speer, who died in September 2017 at the age of 83, knew the difficulty of such projects; in his long career, the world-class urban architect had planned entire cities in China, Saudi Arabia and Nepal: “We are trying to do something here that has the highest possible mix of functions and qualities. It’s a long-term process that needs to be accepted. You can be off the mark quite a bit,” Speer noted.

Still somewhat conventional

For Dieter Baeumle, a resident of the Klybeck neighborhood, there is much truth in Speer’s statement. For him, the early architectural designs were all a bit dry: “I was amazed at how conventional it came across. It’s not innovative enough for me, not bold enough.”

However, not everyone shares this assessment, especially since the master plan is still in progress. But given the imponderables, many onlookers are hoping that the developers will maintain a certain degree of flexibility, leaving room for new things and considering future residents.

Katrin Bhend, an architecture student, puts it this way: “I think it’s important that Klybeck remains flexible. So many things can change. And once the project is completed, the people who live here should have the opportunity to shape the neighborhood themselves.”

No one knows today what Klybeck will look like in the future. The planning will take a few more years until the bulldozers show up one day to change the face of the district forever.

Jacques Herzog, who served as an expert during the test planning phase, is also keeping an open mind about things to come since there is no such thing as an ideal cityscape, even for the star architect: “I don’t believe that there is an ideal 21st-century city model. There are simply different urban designs. Nevertheless, Klybeck is a great opportunity to conquer a new part of the city.”

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