Architecture in Basel
World-class architecture
Swiss building culture represents the highest aesthetic and artisanal standards, and 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.
The Basel region has established itself as a pioneer in sustainable construction in recent years and is meeting the challenges of the future with innovative projects – office buildings built using clay, façades made of recycled materials and creatively repurposed industrial sites. In Basel, the building revolution and aesthetic demands go hand in hand.
Learn more about Basel’s 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.
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?
Self-guided 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.
Architecture Guides
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Good to know.
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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.
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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.
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- 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)