Conversion of Kaserne Basel
June 15, 2020
The ambitious complete renovation of a historic building.
The building character of the barracks was preserved and modernized with an open structure. Curved arches instead of straight lintels for larger openings and an unusual aesthetic for the red exposed concrete staircase are tasks that the ERNE team implemented. Many people know the main building of the Kaserne Basel as a backdrop for major events such as the Basel Tattoo. Now the facility has been redesigned so that it can also be used as a district, cultural and creative center. A wonderful challenge, from the roof to the cellar and from the openings to the banks of the Rhine to the covered plaza with staircases made of red exposed concrete. We invite you on a journey through the conversion of the Kaserne Basel, immerse yourself in exciting reports and impressive film footage.
Conversion work and restructuring of the basement
The work began at the top. The roof had to be opened to provide access for the crane. This was followed by the demolition of individual and entire parts of the building. Some of the old insulation materials contained asbestos and PAHs and had to be removed. ERNE decon took over the pollutant clean-up and removed the materials professionally. New ceilings with ribbed beams and prestressed prefabricated panels were installed. The entire basement of the venerable building was restructured. The original floor was removed and moved downwards. This was a challenging task, as the excavation pit had to be secured with numerous underpinnings. The floor was removed in stages and concreted to secure it. In order to meet modern structural requirements, additional earthquake and façade stabilization was necessary. This stabilization of the subsoil was achieved through the use of micropiles. As it was suspected that historical relics might be found in the basement, the excavation work was supervised by archaeologists. However, neither a Basel Ötzi nor a Roman gold treasure was found.
Elaborate formwork work for aesthetic exposed concrete
At the heart of the conversion concept is a two-storey connecting space - the plaza. Once the work is complete, this publicly accessible and covered space can be used by the public for informal lounging and events. Two storey ceilings were removed to create a spacious and airy atmosphere. A generous staircase not only connects the two levels, it also serves as a seating area and acts as a small auditorium for special events. In order to preserve the architectural style, curved arches were used for larger openings instead of the usual straight lintels, which meant that special formwork had to be used for the construction work.
The staircases made of exposed concrete posed some structural challenges: many narrow formwork boards were lined up next to each other to create an aesthetic structure. In addition, a concrete mix with red color was used to give the surface the typical copper-colored tone that is often found in Basel's building tradition, for example in the town hall or Basel Cathedral. As the stairwells are also offset in the room, there was little space available for the formwork work and the structures had to be fitted into existing spaces - similar to a jigsaw puzzle.
Renovation work in the middle of major events
Even during the renovation work, major events such as the Basel Tattoo, the Autumn Fair and Open Air Basel took place on the barracks site. For such events, everything in the inner courtyard that was somehow reminiscent of a building site was dismantled - including the crane - and then reinstalled. During the preparations and operation of these events, the conversion teams had access to the construction site during the day, but they could only work to a limited extent so as not to disturb the events with noise.
The barracks - a building with a history
The complex between Klybeckstrasse and Unterer Rheinweg has an eventful history behind it. A monastery stood there as early as 1280. In 1863, the Swiss military built the barracks, which served as a training site until 1966. The city of Basel then took over the management of the site and used it for social and cultural events. Today, the Kaserne Basel is the largest center in northwestern Switzerland for the contemporary theater, dance and performance scene as well as for innovative pop music. With the completion of the renovation work in spring 2020, the Kaserne became an attractive meeting place for the entire population.
Facts about the construction site
Object | Conversion of main building Kaserne Basel |
Client | Building and Transport Department of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, Building Construction Office |
Construction management | Caretta+Weidmann, Baumanagement AG |
Engineer | Schnetzer Puskas Engineers AG |
Architect | FOCKETYN DEL RIO Studio |
Project participants ERNE | Foreman: Daniel Kopp, Foreman: Mario Wülser |
Services | Excavation, demolition, building gutting, pollutant remediation, conversion and renovation with exposed concrete work |
Construction time | July 2018 to spring 2020 |
