Nominee DETAIL Award 2024
Living in the Former Wine Warehouse
© Paola Corsini
Cost-effective housing construction
The former Coop wine warehouse in Basel’s Lysbüchel neighbourhood was transformed into a multistorey residential building, designed to accommodate residents of all ages and diverse lifestyles. The distinctive mushroom-like supports of the original structure were retained, serving as a striking visual reminder of the building’s past. To maintain their impact within the new residential scale, these columns were left exposed and highlighted in various ways. Their imposing presence is a defining feature within the flats, which are arranged perpendicularly to the main structure. The columns also play a prominent role in the two rues intérieures that run lengthwise through the building. By reusing the existing structure, the project reduces grey energy consumption by 42 %. Additionally, the building is two-thirds self-sufficient in its total energy use, thanks to a photovoltaic system and a groundwater heat pump.
© Philip Heckhausen
Architecture: Esch Sintzel Architekten
Project architects: Laurent Bumand, Marco Rickenbacher (verantwortlicher Partner)
Client: Stiftung Habitat
Location: Weinlagerstrasse 11, 4056 Basel (CH)
Completion date: 2023
Gross volume: 42 000 m³
Gross floor area: 12 600 m²
Usable floor area: 8660 m²