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. 

Städtekampagne 2024 Kurzclip Novartis Campus

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Novartis Campus

With about 20 buildings designed by top international architects, the Novartis Campus is a true Mecca of modern architecture. The who’s who of architecture – from Diener & Diener and Frank O. Gehry to Herzog & de Meuron – congregate there. 

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Learn more about Basel’s architecture
  • 15 impressive buildings in Basel
  • Highlights and guided architecture tours
  • Architecture guides
  • 7 hotels featuring exceptional architecture

    • 15 impressive buildings in Basel

    A city in flux: Herzog & de Meuron set a new bar with the superior 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.

    Transitlager

    Bjarke Ingels Group
    Das Stellwerk auf dem Wolf bei der Einfahrt in den Bahnhof SBB wurde von Basels Stararchitekten Herzog & de Meuron entworfen und 1999 fertig gestellt. /// The striking monolith on the southern approach to Basel SBB railway station was based on designs by Basel architects Herzog & de Meuron, and completed in 1999.

    Zentralstellwerk SBB

    Herzog & de Meuron
    Gesamtsanierung und Erweiterung Stadtcasino Basel, Basel, Schweiz von Herzog de Meuron Architekten, Basel, Schweiz, Casinogesellschaft, Basel aufgenommen am 21. Mai 2020 von Roman Weyeneth, fotografie roman weyeneth gmbh, Fotostudio Basel, Schweiz

    Stadtcasino Basel

    Herzog & de Meuron

    Museum der Kulturen

    Vischer & Söhne
    Herzog & de Meuron

    Kunstmuseum Basel | Neubau

    Christ & Gantenbein
    Das Gebäudeensemble Südpark im Gundeldinger Quartier, designed von Herzog & de Meuron.

    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, erbaut von Renzo Piano.

    Fondation Beyeler

    Renzo Piano
    Das Museum Tinguely wurde vom Tessiner Architekten Mario Botta errichtet und zeigt in exzellenter Lage direkt am Rhein die grösste Werksammlung von Jean Tinguely (1925 - 1991). /// Museum Tinguely on the Rhine was designed by the Ticino architect Mario Botta and houses the largest collection of works by Jean Tinguely (1925-1991).

    Museum Tinguely

    Mario Botta
    The Goetheanum in Dornach is the centre of the anthroposophistic teachings of Rudolf Steiner. -- Das Goetheanum in Dornach ist das Zentrum der anthroposophischen Lehre von Rudolf Steiner.

    Goetheanum

    Rudolf Steiner

    BIS

    Mario Botta

    Basel exhibition centre

    Herzog & de Meuron
    Das Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, 1989 entworfen vom Architekten Frank Gehry.

    Vitra Design Museum

    Frank O. Gehry

    Novartis Pavillon

    Michele De Lucchi
    Die Roche-Türme in Basel ragen in den Wolkenhimmel

    Roche Towers

    Herzog & de Meuron

    Highlights and 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?

    S AM Schweizerisches Architekturmuseum Basel

    Museum

    S AM Swiss Architecture Museum

    The leading institution in the presentation of contemporary architecture and urbanism in Switzerland.

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    Architecture

    Novartis Campus

    If you are interested in top-class architecture, appreciate short distances and also enjoy quiet moments in green surroundings, then the Novartis Campus, open to the public on working days, is just the place for you.

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    Stadtcasino

    Guided tour

    Stadtcasino Basel

    After a four-year renovation period by architects Herzog & de Meuron, one of the world’s best concert halls is now restored to its full splendour: welcome to the Stadtcasino Basel, the pinnacle of musical culture in the three-countries region.

    CHF 20 per person

    Book now
    Architektur, LezBroz 2019

    Guided tour

    Vitra Campus

    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.  

    Book now

     Self-guided tours

    Schule_fuer_Gestaltung

    Tour

    Concrete Icons e-bike tour

    Basel boasts a small but exquisite selection of outstanding 20th-century concrete buildings – some tucked away in the city’s districts – that are just great to discover by (e-)bike. 

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    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.

    Sightseeing tour

    Architectural highlights day 1

    Easy
    • 4.7 km
    • 01:15 h

    Sightseeing tour

    Architectural highlights day 2

    Easy
    • 8.9 km
    • 02:15 h

    Sightseeing tour

    Architectural highlights day 3

    Easy
    • 3.8 km
    • 01:00 h
    • 40 m

    Architecture Guides

    Werkraum Warteck pp Basel

    Guide

    Architecture Guide by Virginia Duran

    Architect Virginia Duran calls Basel Switzerland’s well-kept secret. Her guide provides a comprehensive insight into the city’s architectural scene. 

    To the guide
    ST MMS Messe

    Guide

    Architectural Highlights

    A selection of must-see buildings and places in Basel just waiting to be explored, including three walking tours. 

    To the guide

    7 hotels featuring exceptional architecture

    Nomad Design & Lifestyle Hotel

    Boutique-Hotel im Volkshaus
    Innenarchitektur und Einrichtung im Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois in Basel. / Interior design and furnishing in the Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois in Basel.

    Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois

    Hotel Krafft

    Art House Basel
    Das hochwertige urban lifestyle Hotel The Passage am Steinengraben in Grossbasel.

    The Passage

    Silo Design & Boutique Hostel

    #thisisbasel

    Share your ❤️ of Basel with us. Tag your photos using #thisisbasel to get featured on our Instagram feed @baselswitzerland and at basel.com

    Good to know. 

    • The Architekturwoche Basel (AWB) is the biennial platform for architecture and urban development in Switzerland’s capital of architecture. You can dive into the building culture of the metropolitan region at over 100 different events. The Architekturwoche Basel was held for the first time in May 2022, and will then be a biennial event.

    • Once a year, Open House offers you the exclusive opportunity to explore the inside of 100 incredible buildings in Basel. There are guided tours of the Masonry Hall, Roche Building 2 and the Stadtcasino Basel, for example.

      • David Chipperfield (2023 Laureate)
      • Eduardo Souto de Moura (2011)
      • Kazuyo Sejima & Ryue Nishizawa, SANAA (2010)
      • Peter Zumthor (2009)
      • Zaha Hadid (2004)
      • Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron (2001)
      • Renzo Piano (1998)
      • Rafael Moneo (1996)
      • Tadao Ando (1995)
      • Fumihiko Maki (1993)
      • Álvaro Siza (1992)
      • Frank O. Gehry (1989)
      • Richard Meier (1984)