Architecture in Basel

Basel is seen as Switzerland’s capital of architecture. The number of buildings designed by world-famous architects in such close proximity is unsurpassed, all in the midst of an architectural setting that has evolved over centuries.

World-class architecture

The Swiss architectural scene has an appeal that extends well beyond the country’s borders. Numerous Swiss architectural firms have attracted attention all over the world in recent decades with a series of outstanding creations. Many of the renowned firms hail from Basel such as Christ & Gantenbein, Diener & Diener Architects and Herzog & de Meuron. They have all helped to lay the foundation of a lively architectural scene in Basel.

Just a few steps away from the picturesque and well-preserved Old Town, you will glimpse architectural masterpieces designed by internationally renowned figures such as Richard Meier, Frank Gehry and Mario Botta. Numerous winners of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize have immortalized themselves in Basel with their buildings – a concentration of superior architecture that is unique in the world.

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A city in flux: Herzog & de Meuron set a new bar with the towering Roche Towers and the futuristic exhibition centre. Mario Botta is responsible for the BIS building and Museum Tinguely. And just over the German border, Frank O. Gehry built his first building in Europe: the Vitra Design Museum.

Dreispitz site

Bjarke Ingels Group

Zentralstellwerk SBB

Herzog & de Meuron

Stadtcasino Basel

Herzog & de Meuron

Museum der Kulturen

Vischer & Söhne
Herzog & de Meuron

Kunstmuseum Basel | Neubau

Christ & Gantenbein

Südpark

Herzog & de Meuron

Nebst einem Hotel und Geschäftsräumlichkeiten verschiedener Unternehmen befindet sich im obersten Stockwerk auch die Bar Rouge. Von hier aus hat man einen atemberaubenden Blick auf die Stadt und auf das benachbarte Deutschland und Frankreich. / In addition to a hotel and business premises of various companies, the Bar Rouge is also located on the top floor. From here you have a breathtaking view of the city and of neighbouring Germany and France.

Messeturm

Morger & Degelo
Daniele Marques

Fondation Beyeler

Renzo Piano

Museum Tinguely

Mario Botta

Goetheanum

Rudolf Steiner

BIS

Mario Botta

Basel exhibition centre

Herzog & de Meuron

Vitra Design Museum

Frank O. Gehry

Der Campus am Hauptsitz von Novartis ist bereits jetzt ein wahres Mekka der modernen Architektur. Die Gesamtplanung wird vom italienischen Stararchitekten Vittorio Magnano Lampugnani durchgeführt. // The campus located at the Novartis headquarters has already become a true Mecca for modern architecture. The planning was conducted by the famous Italian architect Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani.

Novartis Campus

Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani

Roche Tower

Herzog & de Meuron

Guided architecture tours

So why not leave your mark on the city where a dozen winners of the coveted Pritzker Architecture Prize have left theirs?

Book a guided tour of the Novartis Campus, visit the converted Stadtcasino Basel or see for yourself how former industrial sites are transforming into hotspots of the young architectural scene.

Architektur, LezBroz 2019 — On this tour, you will visit the VitraHaus by Herzog & de Meuron, Frank O. Gehry’s first building in Europe, Zaha Hadid’s first building ever and many other masterpieces of contemporary architecture.

Circular architecture tours

Explore the architectural metropolitan centre of Basel on your own. Three walking tours take you to the highlights of the city, each dedicated to a different part of the city.