At the heart of a new urban quarter to the north of Basel, a previously abandoned silo dating from 1912 has been converted by Harry Gugger Studio into a multi-faceted venue for the wider local community. Activities include ateliers and studios as affordable space for cultural workers, service providers, and emerging businesses. Further, a hostel and restaurant occupy the heart of the project. The overall aim is to create and promote diversity.
Once free-standing, the silo building is now integrated into a row of buildings. Mitigating noise pollution from the adjacent motorway was a key design factor, along with retaining the original spatial character and organization of the project.
One of the first steel-reinforced concrete structures in Switzerland, the interior of the silo has a unique industrial condition characterised by a vertical division, something the architects chose to preserve and celebrate.
Throughout, the building’s structure was safeguarded as much as possible, retaining as much of the existing fabric as possible and keeping disruptive interventions to a minimum.
Existing silo chambers were preserved, allowing the building to retain its familiar scale. New functions are installed on two new floor slabs and distribution cores. Most strikingly, porthole-like windows have been introduced to the exterior to provide ventilation and daylight for interior spaces without affecting the integrity of the original façade.
