Rosentalturm Basel: Herzog & de Meuron’s “Rooseli”

The competition for the Rosentalturm Basel on the exhibition grounds has been decided. The “Rooseli” design by Herzog & de Meuron won over the jury. A public open space, a free-standing pavilion and a grove of trees are intended to bring the Rosental site back into the focus of the area.

In the not too distant future, another high-rise building could dominate Basel’s city skyline. It is to be built on the Messe Basel site. The chosen building site is currently still home to a parking garage. However, this is to be moved underground with its 1,448 parking spaces. This will make way for the “Rooseli” project. This is the design by Herzog & de Meuron in the competition for the Rosental Tower. Instead of cars, it will contain apartments, neighborhood-related uses, offices and hotel rooms. Herzog & de Meuron’s version of the Rosentalturm won out against seven participating planning offices. It is an idea “that successfully mediates between the different worlds of the trade fair and the neighborhood”, according to the press release.

The office has been working on the project since 2013. At that time, MCH Messe Basel invited three planning offices to develop a vision for the site for the first time. The priority was to clarify whether the existing multi-storey parking lot could be renovated. Or whether it would have to make way for a new building. It was also necessary to expand the possible uses. And to find an urban positioning for the site. The specifications to be adhered to were strict. For example, the existing number of parking spaces could not be reduced. Similarly, the plans were not to extend beyond the boundaries of the existing building and thus encroach on the surrounding areas. Buchner Bründler Architekten AG, Herzog & de Meuron and Morger Dettli Architekten AG finally took on the planning task. The first ideas were already available in October of the same year. Herzog & de Meuron and Morger Dettli were then commissioned to work on the project in greater depth. At the end of the process, the decision was made to apply to the Canton of Basel-Stadt for an amendment to the development plan.

On June 20, 2020, the time had finally come. The Grand Council of the Canton of Basel-Stadt approved the new development plan, which provides for densification with taller buildings. Based on this legal foundation, MCH Messe Badel launched an anonymous architectural competition in collaboration with the Department of Construction and Transport of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. At the beginning of 2022, seven offices were invited to submit a design for the realization of the Rosentalturm. On December 20, the international jury then decided on the winners. And chose “Rooseli” as the winner. Herzog & de Meuron designed a three-part ensemble of buildings. A tower rises up towards Messeplatz, visible from afar. A low longitudinal structure is being built along Riehenstrasse. A public open space is created between the two elements, which is complemented by a free-standing pavilion. The open green space will extend the Rosentalanlage – a park that has been shrinking for decades. A grove of trees will tie in with the existing park.

In their design from 2013, Herzog & de Meuron already conceived a green inner courtyard, at that time enclosed by a multi-storey plinth. The entire first floor was to be open to the public. This idea has survived to this day. As has the play with varying building heights. Although the dimensions have become much bolder. While the tallest tower at the time was 23 meters high, it is now 93 meters. The building is divided vertically into three volumes. The division is based on the eaves heights of the surrounding buildings. The setback creates green, sunlit terraces in front of the adjacent communal areas. The range of public uses is intended to promote “local neighborhoods for the residents”. In addition to the public and semi-public commercial spaces, the new Rosentalturm offers plenty of living space. The planners have opted for a mix of apartments. The spectrum ranges from 2.0 to 5.5-room apartments to shared housing projects. In addition, around 100 apartments are to be built in the affordable segment.

The jury ascribes a mediating function to the design. This probably refers to the mixed housing offer as well as the design response to the surroundings. Through the contrast between the high-rise tower and the low longitudinal building, the project responds to the large-scale trade fair buildings on the one hand and the small-scale neighborhood development on the other. However, the design does not respond to the existing parking garage. Instead of converting the structure, which is classified as robust, Herzog & de Meuron prefer to demolish it. Not only did the ramps of the multi-storey parking lot have a striking design, but the opportunity to save gray energy by reusing existing resources is also lost. However, this is contrasted by the jury’s assessment. It attests to the project’s “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.”

How the other planning offices have dealt with the challenge will probably be on display from February/March this year. A public vernissage with all the contributions is then planned. Herzog & de Meuron, on the other hand, are already busy with the next planning steps. Over the course of the year, the design will be developed further to the point where the building application is submitted. The aim is to start construction as early as 2024. For the city of Basel, the exhibition center – together with the life science industry sites and the densification around the SBB train station – is an important urban development element. It is hoped that the new Rosentalturm building will further enhance the location. At best, the “Rooseli” site and the proposed diversification of uses will do justice to its urban structural relevance in the future. In social as well as ecological and aesthetic terms. And finally, outside of trade fair opening hours.

In Munich, another building project by Herzog & de Meuron is making headlines: Paketposthalle Munich.