Study contract for cantonal hospital

Bruderholz Cantonal Hospital was designed around 40 years ago as a modern hospital for inpatients. Since then, the healthcare system has developed enormously. The space available and the layout of the rooms no longer meet current and future requirements. The outer shell and building services have reached the end of their service life. An extension to the hospital and comprehensive refurbishment measures are unavoidable.

From a multi-storey low-rise building, which primarily accommodates infrastructure and general uses in addition to the connecting entrance hall, the high-rise bed buildings of the Cantonal Hospital and the Competence Centre for Geriatrics and Rehabilitation of both Basel grow in orthogonal development. The two high-rise buildings are visible as landmarks from the entire Basel catchment area. The southern open space between the building and the newly defined edge of the forest is established together with the hall as a central location. Design and functional elements layered in depth organise and structure the oversized space of the forest clearing, which develops continuously into the hall. The new building is coordinated with the existing structure and designed in such a way that the building can be realised in a short space of time without the need for costly temporary structures. Blaser Architekten took part in the 2nd-stage study contract in collaboration with Rapp Arcoplan and the architects Steinmann&Schmid.