Basel harbour site ahoy! Transformation of an industrial building ensemble on the West-Quay

The challenge is to transform Basel’s harbour area, long cut off from the public due to heavy port activities and railways. The goal is to redevelop the former industrial zone of the West-Quay into a thriving, liveable neighborhood that reconnects with the riverfront, bridges cultures, and enhances the tri-national identity. The design must integrate the area’s industrial heritage, address its prominent location, create public access, and foster cross-border collaboration, all while ensuring sustainability and inclusivity in the urban landscape.

The transformation of Basel’s Rhine harbour offers a unique opportunity to create a vibrant cross-border district in the cultural melting pot of Switzerland, France, and Germany. At the heart of this trinational vision is the redevelopment of the West-Quay, a former monofunctional harbour site, into a dynamic, and mixed-use urban area. The spatial-architectural concept builds upon the site’s existing industrial fabric, preserving its monumental harbour buildings while integrating further structures that anchor the area as a key highlight for the Basel agglomeration. The West-Quay Tip serves not only as the symbolic tri-border triangle but also as a striking gateway to Basel. The chosen program—a media library and cultural center—introduces a “third place”: a consumer-free living room for the entire region. The existing northern building, with its impressive old columns, is reframed by the new cultural space, transforming the reading rooms into a luminous "harbour window." The architectural language of the addition reflects the conical shape of the tip. The new university tower forms a synergetic relationship with the media library. Together, these elements foster a vibrant hub for the tri-country region. Adjacent to the Tip, the former cargo terminal is reimagined as an impressive theatre, celebrating the cultural identity of this unique region. The design integrates the theatre’s structure within the existing terminal, where seating stairs double as beams, and the practice stage amplifies the dramatic entrance gesture. Where goods were once stored and transshipped, knowledge is now preserved, and a place for social interaction is created. A reflection of societal change with a lighthouse effect for a shared tri-national future. Harbour site Basel Ahoy!