LOCATION / HISTORY
The square made up of Steinenberg / Steinenvorstadt is located in the city centre of Basel (BS) near the Barfüsserplatz and opposite the city casino. While Steinenberg forms an important traffic axis with a lot of tram traffic, the Steinenvorstadt is a lively pedestrian zone and promenade.
The buildings Steinenberg 21 and 23 are part of a characteristic row of houses built in classical style in 1865. Houses 21 and 23 are connected to the house Steinenvorstadt 1A via the inner courtyard. In between lies Basel’s Toy Worlds Museum.
CONCEPT / ARCHITECTURE
The group of houses has been completely renovated or rebuilt. The Steinenvorstadt 1A building was completely rebuilt. The Steinenberg building is different: the facades have been preserved and renovated in cooperation with the preservation authority, while the rest of the building was deconstructed and rebuilt.
A pharmacy occupies the ground floors of Steinenberg 21 and 23. The two floors above have space for offices and practices, while the upper floors contain upmarket apartments. The house Steinenvorstadt 1A offers ground floor and first floor space for a restaurant. The upper floors are occupied by offices and apartments.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
The facades of Steinenberg 21 and 23 have changed several times over the years. It was a requirement of the preservation authority to refurbish these facades and fully restore them to their original condition of 1865. The roof was once again covered with original slate, the blurred decorations on the window frames were reconstructed and the ground floor was covered in dark marble. The facades now form a unit with the buildings to their left and right: the entire row of houses shines in a beautiful «French boulevard» style.
ADDITIONAL SPECIFIC FEATURES
The construction site presented some challenges. Deconstruction of the houses Steinenberg 21 and 23 was carried out separately from the facade, which was secured from the inside with pillars and reinforcing bars. After the demolition, a second shell was concreted in place from the inside and connected to the old facade.
The River Birsig, which joins the Rhine,flows underneath the renovated Steinenberg houses. The old Birsig vault proved to be too unstable to bear the weight of the new building and had to be temporarily reinforced with supporting beams, then with micropiles and additional concrete wythes.
For the most part, deliveries for both new buildings took place via a narrow parking lot in the rear courtyard. Because large trucks were unable to turn around there, they had to drive in backwards, always accompanied by employees of a security company. The construction crane was erected in the rear courtyard on a separate foundation. The pedestrian precinct had to be temporarily closed for the delivery of the facade elements for Steinenvorstadt 1A.
