The innovative family-owned company Viollier AG has been committed to improving medical prevention, diagnosis and therapy since 1953. Viollier offers a comprehensive overall system consisting of optimally coordinated components and processes at the cutting edge of laboratory medicine and technology.

Following a selection process, Blaser Architekten was commissioned to remodel a newly acquired adjacent building according to Viollier's needs and to integrate it well into the existing buildings. By moving administrative areas into this building, current offices can be used as laboratories in the future. We are delighted about this long-term mandate.

The International Bone Research Association (IBRA) is an independent organization aiming particularly for specialized surgeons and researchers. Core activities are medical courses at various levels as well as multinational symposia, fellowship programs and research projects. In August 2023, IBRA will move into the new training center in Basel's Life Science Center "Stücki" on a total area of 870 square meters. The education and training center has 12 surgical units with state-of-the-art technology for radiology, allowing up to 80 participants to gain hands-on experience at the same time.

We worked with IBRA Institute in an intensive and enriching exchange to optimally plan the laboratories, offices as well as social areas and provide them with the latest technology and equipment, so that we could create the best spatial conditions to conduct advanced and complex medical trainings. The goal was to provide physicians, surgical staff, healthcare professionals and clinical researchers with the latest top facilities where they can learn new surgical procedures, develop innovative medical devices, and validate and test the next generation of healthcare advances. We are excited to celebrate the completion of this project and wish IBRA a smooth move-in and inspired get-go in their new space.

The BaseLink site in the Bachgraben area of Allschwil has become a bustling area with international appeal, where leading companies, especially from the life science, technology and research sectors, have settled - among them Idorsia, Viollier or Skan. The Tropical and Public Health Institute has also recently moved into one of the architecturally outstanding new buildings. One of the newer buildings is the Main Campus of the SIP (Switzerland Innovation Parc), designed by Herzog & deMeuron. Blaser Architects were responsible for the interior design and acted as general planner. Already in autumn start-ups moved into the new laboratory and office space designed by us. Due to the great interest in the top-modern and well equipped spaces for flexible use, the SIP increased the amount of space available for rent. We also planned and executed this second stage, which has now been completed. The aim was to create a unique mix of office and laboratory space for chemistry, biology, and medical and materials technology with specialized infrastructure and equipment. No less important are good meeting rooms and inviting social zones, where people like to take a break and rearrange thoughts or engage in exchanges with others, which are such important factors for being productive, day after day.

SIP Basel Area AG is part of the national initiative 'Switzerland Innovation' with a total of five locations in Switzerland. The aim is to strengthen Switzerland as a location for innovation and to market it strongly both nationally and internationally. Within 'Switzerland Innovation', the SIP focuses on the areas of biomedical engineering and pharma-oriented life sciences research and development.

At the end of July we said goodbye to our apprentice David Vranesic. After four years he successfully completed his apprenticeship as a structural draftsman. We congratulate David from the bottom of our hearts! He has supported our team with verve, enthusiasm and inputs. We wish him the best for the vocational baccalaureate, which he has set his sights on before he will begin his studies of architecture.

"Educating and supporting young people has always been and still is a big concern to me", says our CEO Christian about the apprenticeship training at Blaser Architekten AG. "That's why I'm proud of our David Vranesic, who passed his final apprenticeship exam with flying colors. Taking young adults by the hand, inspiring them, teaching them what is important and helping them find their way, is a responsible, such an important and equally gratifying task. I rejoice in this role every day and try to live up to that. Dear David, you are well on your way - all the best!"

The Theranostics Innovation Center of the Basel-based biotech company Swiss Rockets AG specializes in molecular imaging and radioligand therapy and aims to revolutionize nuclear cancer treatment and diagnosis.

One of its mainstays is the production of next-generation radiopharmaceuticals. These drugs contain radioactive substances that are used for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, especially cancer. Thanks to in-house production, the TIC ensures a seamless and reliable supply of these specialized substances for the personalized treatment of patients.

The diagnostics and imaging center within the center will provide the most modern infrastructure and equipment. The Swiss Rockets TIC will also have a treatment ward with beds specifically for nuclear medicine treatments.

The top floor of the building is primarily office space. However, this level also serves as a hub for collaboration, innovation and knowledge transfer between experts and fosters a dynamic environment for employees.

The first TIC is to be realized at Bio 4 Park in Belgrade Serbia. Blaser Architekten AG will complete the basic design with a specialised planner and user representative team by the end of 2023. We are proud to be part of this medically groundbreaking and with regard to planning complex and challenging project.

In Andermatt we are planning the spectacular polygonal house Yara with sixth floors, five apartments on each floor, maisonettes under the roof and retail space on the first floor. "Having the chance to build a house in the mountains is a great pleasure. The material is here - the stones, the wood - and nature is all over in a positive sense," Christian Blaser says about the project. "To be allowed to create something from these two circumstances is challenging, but also a great gift."

We report about the work now for two reasons: With the completion of the last concrete roof at the beginning of August, the building has entered the second phase of shell construction, in which we continue with the installation of the windows as well as the facade, among other things. And the façade has the following special feature: we thought of it in a wooden cladding and chose a hand-split spruce shingle, which reflects the light particularly beautifully and differently in all weathers and at different times of the day. But this material did not yet have a "go" for fire protection reasons given the proximity to buildings in the immediate vicinity in Andermatt. Therefore we were anxious to see whether it would pass the fire protection test and whether we would get the green light in time. At the end of July, we now received the positive feedback and are pleased that we passed the test, for which we specially built a mockup in the dimensions three by six meters.

The opening of Spenglerpark in September marked the completion of an exciting, intensive project. Already at the start of classes in mid-August, the Campus Bildung Gesundheit moved back into its old new domicile, the Spenglerpark in Münchenstein. As general planner, architect for the conversion of House B and fit-out contractor for the entire campus, we were involved on various fronts in the refurbishment and renovation of Spenglerpark. Our responsibility was also to bring back about 3,000 students and teachers from the provisional facilities we had converted for them in the Klybeckareal, where the institutions of the Campus Bildung Gesundheit had their temporary home during the reconstruction of Spenglerpark, and to guarantee the spatial operation after the summer vacations. The cooperation with everyone, the exchange of experiences and insights from the time of the interim use in Klybeck, have made this project a special one. We are happy about a great course and successful completion of this project. We wish all institutions a fantastic start!

In 2010 we moved into our office space at Austrasse 24 and at the same time dedicated a part of the space to our public, non-profit platform Schauraum-B. It is a place for exchange about and the mediation of topics around architecture, space, time and society. Till today, this has resulted in numerous exhibitions and events ranging from "sehen-sehen" to "flüchtiges Zuhause" to "form follows finance" with over 150 speakers; and Schauraum-B will live on. We have published a book about the 14 themes of the last 13 years. This publication can be ordered free of charge by sending an e-mail to cbritt@schauraum-b.ch.

Heime auf Berg AG offers a unique chain of services in northwestern Switzerland in the care and support of infants, children, adolescents, women and families in difficult situations. The NPO has 140 residential and care places at various locations in the cantons of Basel-Landschaft and Basel-Stadt.

Blaser Architects, on behalf of the Mirest Pension Fund (Tozzo Group), converted the rear building, a former carpenter's workshop that was converted into a residential building in 1977, into living and working spaces that serve the purposes of family care. Also converted are the mezzanine and the basement apartment with access to the backyard in the front building.

The premises, tailored to the needs of the homes on Berg AG, will be put into operation in the summer.

Based on a feasibility study with subsequent preliminary study, we were commissioned as general planner with the planning and realization of a dense residential building 'in the second row'. A gap in the existing building site opens up the urban development in the direction of the Birs.

The combination of two adjacent parcels generates a multi-family building with 22 apartments, half of which will be owned and half rented.

Occupation is planned for the end of 2025.

The long existence of our architectural office leads to recurring building sites, such as Arbedostrasse on the Bruderholz in Basel.

It began in 2000 with conversions at Arbedostrasse 23 for the Leonhardt Feldpausch family. In 2007, we completed the conversion of the single-family home of Christine and Roland Fritsche at Arbedostrasse 15. From 2015 to 2016, our long-time employee Bruno Fritsche converted the former family home at Arbedostrasse 12 as a new home for his brother Roland Fritsche. Also in 2016, we prepared a development and potential study for the widow Lotti Wagner for Arbedostrasse 4 as a basis for the sale of the property, prior to her move into an age-appropriate condominium.
At the moment we are completing the renewed conversion of Arbedostrasse 15 for the Schwarz family.

We almost made another commitment in the form of a study for Arbedostrasse 11 as part of a bidding process. Over the years, a deep attachment to this location on the Bruderholz has developed.

Christian W. Blaser is the initiator and organizer of the Architektur Dialoge format 'Making of'. The series of events organized by Architektur Dialoge aims to provide an insight into production and craftsmanship in the Basel region. Using a concrete object that architects and designers have developed together with a company, the production and its possibilities are illustrated directly on site.

For the new construction of the sustainably designed office building Hortus (House of Research, Technology, Utopia and Sustainability) in Allschwil, the architectural office H&dM and the engineering office ZPF developed a special wood-loam ceiling system in cooperation with Senn Development and the timber constructor Blumer-Lehmann. After a preliminary explanation, the system could be viewed on site on May 6 with the help of a mockup. The event was very well received and was attended by more than 150 people.

Due to a facade fire caused by an electrical short circuit and the massive damage to the structure caused by the extinguishing water, the single-family house in Arlesheim has to be replaced by a new building. Only the basement, which was built in solid construction, can be retained. The rest of the house will be deconstructed and completely rebuilt in timber construction. In addition to the former cubature, a small attic will be created, which will allow a view of Basel through a high proportion of windows.

The building application has already been submitted, construction of the modular timber construction is scheduled to begin in the summer, and occupation is planned for 2024.

The facade of the commercial building at Freie Strasse 20, corner of Rüdengasse in Basel, dating from 1959, is to be renovated. The building, designed by architects Fritz Rickenbach and Walter Baumann, is located in the vicinity of registered monuments, but is not intended for inclusion in the inventory of buildings worthy of protection. Nevertheless, in consultation with the Stadtbildkommission, the execution of the renovation is to be oriented as closely as possible to the existing building.

In collaboration with the façade planner, the window manufacturer, the client and the Stadtbildkommission, Blaser Architekten developed a façade that meets the energy and comfort requirements and at the same time retains the originality of the original appearance with the characteristic aluminum profiles as far as possible. The mockup (1:1 sampling) was created and approved by the City Image Commission.

The courtyard and street facades will be realized in coordination with the neighboring reconstruction of the main post office in 2023/2024.

Let's do something for our environment together.

The construction and operation of buildings consume around one third of the resources in Switzerland. Here lies an unbelievable savings potential.

Beyond the legal requirements, we formulate target values, concepts and the magnitude of expected savings with you.

This is not only good for the environment, but also for your wallet: with low operating costs. Sustainable buildings do not mean doing without and offer a high level of comfort.

Let us make a contribution on the way to a sustainable future - we will be happy to support you.

The community of heirs of a villa on Bruderholzallee would like to sell the parental property. The house is listed in the inventory of buildings worthy of protection of the Canton of Basel-Stadt. In order to clarify the potential and the possible use of the house for a new owner, Blaser Architekten prepared a feasibility study. In addition, the villa's worthiness of protection was examined and confirmed by means of a monumental pflegerisches Gutachten.

In an exchange between Blaser Architekten AG and the Cantonal Office for the Protection of Monuments and the City Gardening Department, a protection contract was prepared between the owner and the Canton of Basel-Stadt. It indicates the scope of protection of the property and the potential for possible structural changes on the plot.

Information about the sale can be found here

At the beginning of March, we started the total refurbishment of the four properties built in 1948. We are converting two apartments per floor with slightly different apartment layouts.

The roof truss is being completely removed and replaced by a new roof structure that will allow the installation of a total of eight additional residential units. To create comfortable room heights, the position of the knee floor will be shifted to the outer edge of the balconies and slightly raised. The load will be transferred via new wide-span edge beams. In addition to the installation of skylights, the new roof will be lit and ventilated by means of skylights on both the street and courtyard sides.

The first of the twin houses will be ready for occupancy at the end of June 2024.

An apartment building with five residential units is being built on a hillside location on Paradiesstrasse in Binningen. The rental units, which are designed as multi-story apartments with large terraces or balconies, are ideally suited for families. The apartments are entered via a spacious entrance hall, which at the same time creates a clear zoning into living and sleeping areas. The adjoining kitchen to the south opens up as a connecting element to the living/dining area.

Access to the apartments is via the north-facing building entrance or via the south-facing driveway directly into the parking garage.

The building envelope, clad in corrugated sternite, is constructed of prefabricated wooden elements, which allow for an assembly time of only a few days, independent of weather conditions.

The building permit has been issued and construction work will start in the fall of 2023.

At the end of this summer, Spenglerpark Münchenstein will become the new home of the 'Health Education Campus' (BZG Bildungszentrum Gesundheit Basel-Stadt, Bern University of Applied Sciences, BfG Berufsfachschule Gesundheit Baselland and OdA Gesundheit beider Basel).

Construction work is well advanced and the users have already been able to view their future training rooms on the occasion of an inspection.

Blaser Architekten is not only responsible for the construction as general planner and architect, but is also orchestrating the fit-out, furnishing, relocation, IT and security. Our responsibility is to return approximately 3,000 teachers and students from the temporary facilities we built in the Klybeck area to the 'Campus Education Health' and to guarantee the spatial operation after the summer vacations. We can only achieve this with great commitment and in cooperation with a spirited team.

More Informations: Campus Bildung Gesundheit

Blaser Architects were commissioned by the owner of the rear building on Austrasse in Basel to prepare a study on how the former 3-story workshop building could be converted into housing and subsequently rented out.

An ideal tenant was found in the Seltisberg-based institution 'Heime Auf Berg AG'. The institution offers a chain of services in the northwest of Switzerland in the care and support of infants, children, adolescents, women and families and now wants to expand its wide range of services in Basel.

Following the planning, we are now starting the conversion work to enable 'Heime Auf Berg AG' to expand its care services in the city from this summer.

The Architecture Dialogues Foundation, under the presidency of Christian W. Blaser, looks back on a successful year: we welcomed around 2,000 guests at 20 events, and in May 2022 the Architecture Week Basel, initiated and organized by Architecture Dialogues, took place for the first time with over 10,000 visitors.

We would like to welcome Judith Bertram, architect and art historian, to the Board of Trustees. She will take over the format "Stadtgespräch", which takes place twice a year.

As of February 1, cultural manager Lydia Zimmer will take over the management and thus the tasks of Flurina Cantieni, who was in charge of the 2022 office on an interim basis and is now once again focusing on Architecture Week Basel.

We plan to hold the second edition of Architecture Week Basel in May 2024 and are pleased that the current management team of Chrissie Muhr as artistic director and Flurina Cantieni as organizational director will continue to develop the successful premiere with us for the second time.

Today, Thursday, February 2, 2023, from 12:00 to 14:00, the next event of the Foundation will take place in Basel: Here and Now No. 1/2023. You are cordially invited to the free tour of the conversion "Stadthäuser am Rümelinsplatz".

Further information: www.architekturdialoge.ch

In Italy, Sabina and Christian W. Blaser run an olive grove together with the former history professor and olivicolotori Umberto Brunelli. There they produce the "Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva La Cilera". Linked to the love for the landscape and the people who live there, they created the project "Porta di Maremma".

"Porta di Maremma" is a pro bono project that sells selected natural foods from local producers in Switzerland without intermediary trade and profit. This allows the farmers to be paid a fair price, thus ensuring that it is economically worthwhile for local farmers to continue to cultivate their land.

The management of this project is in the hands of Brigitte Bräuning, who is also enthusiastic about the Maramma and La Cilera and was in charge of the administration at Blaser Architekten since the office was founded in 1993 until 2010.

We wish you
dreamlike holidays
and a bright 2023.

Sincerely Christian W. Blaser
and the Blaser Architekten Team

The glass mosaic by the Basel artist Hans Rudolf Schiess (1904-1978), created in 1962, represents a remarkable cultural and historical object both in terms of its quality and for the former and now again for the present surroundings.

The object of modern stained glass art was dismantled after the demolition of the Schlotterbeck garage in 1990 and stored temporarily in 12 parts at the CMS. Now it has been reinterpreted and reinstalled in a new version in the entrance hall of the White Plaza and thus in its old location. The once dormant horizontal (formerly in the Schlotterbeck executive suite) has given way to an invigorating vertical and now hangs in the entrance atrium of the White Plaza.

The cultural-historical project by Alex Silber and René Herzogenrath was accompanied in its planning and realization by Blaser Architekten and implemented together with the locksmith's shop Von Arx from Riehen and the art glazier's shop Jossi from Basel. (Photo credit: Dieter Righetti)

On October 13, the Book Launch of the book "Novartis Campus - Pavilion" took place at the Novartis Pavilion. It is for the time being the last documentation of the Campus buildings, initiated by Ulrike Jehle and now continued by Andreas Kofler of S AM.

The book explains the complex architecture and the history of the building's development: from the design idea behind the circular floor plan to the sustainable, prefabricated wooden support structure and the zero-energy media façade, which is performed by changing artists. With contributions by AMDL Circle, Sabine Himmelsbach, Jenny Keller, Andreas Kofler, Vittorio M. Lampugnani, Hortensia von Roda and others, and photographs by Julien Lan. The legend to the building was contributed by us as Local Architect and General Planner.

Almost 30 years ago, the office Blaser Architekten found its origin in the foundation of Blaser+Morath Architecture and Design at Hirschgässlein 11 in Basel. Together with our co-founder Harry Morath, we moved into the offices on the top floor of the property. Today, Harry Morath, now 91 years old, is still a loyal friend and builder.

We have just adapted our former office premises at Hirschgässlein 11 to the needs of the current tenants. The project was managed by Bruno Fritsche, who has been with Blaser Architekten since the company was founded. We are grateful and proud of these long-standing and beautiful relationships.

In 2009, the medical technology company Medartis AG moved into its new production site in Stücki Park Basel, which was planned and built by Blaser Architekten.

Already at that time, the rapidly expanding company had the foresight to rent reserve space in buildings E and F. In the following years, we were repeatedly commissioned with extensions within these areas.

Currently, we are planning the installation of a training center with a Bioskills Lab to provide a real training setup for the doctors and the customers of Medartis AG. The building permit has been granted, construction started in 2022, and operations will start in 2023.

The insurance company of the Swiss Doctors Cooperative owns a real estate portfolio with four old properties on Bäumlihofstrasse with a total of 24 apartments. Following a feasibility study, Blaser Architekten were commissioned as general planners to sustainably renovate the residential properties.

The project involves a total refurbishment with conversion of the attics and thus creation of additional living space to a new total of 32 apartments.

Construction will start in spring 2023.

In November, the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area AG Main Campus was ceremoniously opened in Allschwil in the Bachgraben area by Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin. The building was designed by the Basel architectural firm Herzog & deMeuron.

Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area is the strategic partner and anchor tenant of the new innovation campus. For it, around 5,000 m2 of the total 50,000 m2 of usable space was expanded to accommodate both start-ups and established companies. The SIP offers a unique mix of office and laboratory space for chemistry, biology and medical technology with specialized infrastructure and equipment. In addition, a central reception area, conference, seminar and event rooms, as well as meeting areas and coffee/tea kitchens were incorporated.

Blaser Architects were responsible for the interior design as general planner and will continue to be responsible for the installation of additional tenants on the Main Campus in the future - as they have been in the past.

A new university quarter is to be built on the Dreispitz. In future, it will be home to the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Economics.

In June 2021, the landowner CMS and Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, as the participating building leaseholder, invited tenders for an urban planning study contract for the development of the new university quarter in Dreispitz. First and foremost, an innovative and attractive university education campus is to be created. In addition, other uses such as housing, neighbourhood services for daily needs, gastronomy, childcare facilities, leisure facilities and commerce are to be established. A building for the Swiss Circus Center Basel is also planned.

Together with the university, a sustainable, attractive and lively quarter with high-quality and climate-relevant outdoor and green spaces is to be created. Together with the FHNW School of Art and Design and the planned FHNW School of Business, the new university location will form a true educational cluster on the Dreispitz.

The assessment committee unanimously agreed to consider the proposals of the Grafton Architects/Blaser Architekten team in the study parameters as a basis for further planning steps. What convinced the assessment committee most about this proposal was that the character of Dreispitz would be further developed and that a continuous green area would be provided. Existing structures are to be reused wherever possible and the disused railway tracks are to be incorporated. According to the report, the planning team presents an exceptionally intelligent, aesthetic and sustainable approach that deals with the existing and responds to today's challenges of a people- and climate-friendly urban development.

On the basis of the study, the further planning steps and the negotiations for building rights are now to be prepared. It is expected that the new University Quarter will be visible from 2030 and that the building will be handed over to the University of Basel as the user.

Blaser Architects participate in the Architecture Week Basel formats 'Open Office' and 'Partner Events'.

The overview of our events can be found here:
Architekturwoche Basel

In addition to the insight into the everyday life of our architecture office at Austrasse 24, we also show an exhibition about the previous series of events of the schauraum-b, a spatial cultural engagement affiliated with our architecture company, which has existed since 2010.

On Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 11h there will be a matinée to and in the exhibition with the percussionist Fritz Hauser, who will make part of our collection of building samples sound. Afterwards, a small aperitif awaits you. You are cordially invited.

As a further partner event, a project presentation with panel discussion will take place on Friday, May 13 at 14h in the new Novartis Pavilion. For this project we took over together with Butscher Architekten the mandate as general planner for the local architect Michele de Lucchi, AMDL Circle, Milano.

The initiative, which takes place as part of Architekturwoche Basel, was initiated by the president of Architektur Dialoge, Christian W. Blaser. He is the director of the first biennial Architekturwoche Basel. Architecture Week Basel, the first biennial platform for architecture and urban development, will take place from May 9 to 15, 2022. It makes "contemporary architecture accessible to a broad public while promoting dialogue among experts and actors on the ground."

The new 'Open Office' format, a first in Basel, complements the 'Open House' initiative, where glimpses of buildings are offered in each case. In May, the doors of more than 60 architecture, engineering and planning offices in the city and region will be open for two afternoons. The studio visit to planning and engineering offices is intended to give the audience of Architecture Week Basel an insight into architectural and planning practice.

Blaser Architects developed the 'Haus am Marktplatz', the 'Casa Mercatore' for the Andermatt Swiss Alps vacation resort of Samih Sawiris in a competition and dialogue process from 2010-2011.

Due to the meanwhile successful development of the vacation resort and the great demand, we received the order to plan the house with a total of 28 spacious apartments in 2021. Now, in cooperation with the total contractor Schmid Ebikon, we will realize the apartment house 4e3 starting this spring.

For all those who want to secure a home in Andermatt, there is good news. Andermatt Swiss Alps has planned significant investments in the coming years, including new hotels and leisure and retail facilities. The new village is growing into a resort at all levels.

Link: Andermatt Swiss Alps

The exhibition 'Pandemic Waste' of the 'Initiative Architektur im Architekturhaus' in Salzburg, examined waste, vacancies and increased consumption as side effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

How does the pandemic determine our behavior, our hygiene? Have perceptions and actors in public space, whether through food couriers or anti-corona demonstrations, already shifted? Will disposable masks remain an episode or mutate into a permanent symbol of interpersonal distance or even social division?

On January 27, 2022, an online event of the 'Initiative Architektur im Architekturhaus' took place on this topic. The well-known philosopher Robert Pfaller gave an impulse lecture on the accompanying phenomena of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jürgen Wulff-Gegenbaur from the Waste Management Service of the City of Salzburg contributed current figures on the volume of waste in the city of Salzburg and explained whether this had changed significantly during the pandemic. Moderated by Stefan Wally, they discussed together with Swiss architect Christian W. Blaser what changes have occurred in public space and whether there will be new planning parameters in the future.

The event can be viewed on the following YouTube channel: PandemicWaste

For a larger health care company in the Basel region we planned and realized as general planner in collaboration with Blaser Butscher Architekten a highly sensitive B-laboratory with a PET facility, radiochemistry, secured BSL-2 laboratories, animal husbandry as well as office workstations, video conference room and a dedicated technical center for the laboratory area. There was hardly any best practice for this type of laboratory anywhere in the world, which is why we worked intensively with a large team of technical planners and specialists as well as the users of the building owner.

The purpose of the laboratory is to research and develop certain types of cancer using an innovative approach. Thus, cancer cells are irradiated in a targeted and precise way without affecting healthy cells, which enables a higher efficiency.

We are proud that the facility was built in record time and within the estimated cost.

Already in 2017, we expanded the property at Mittleren Strasse 54, built in 1967, by adding an attractive residential annex on top of the existing parking garage. The 1-room apartments in the main building were thus enlarged to 3- and 4-room apartments, and the gap in the building on Friedensgasse was completely closed. The extension building was given a modern appearance and stands out from the surrounding buildings. Six attractive apartments were created with fully glazed facades on the street and garden sides and continuous living spaces. The generous floor plans are complemented by attractive outdoor spaces in the form of terraces, landscaped forecourts or a private garden.

Now, five years later, we have been commissioned to renovate the building services, floors, walls, ceilings and facade of the 18 existing apartments along Mittleren Strasse. In addition, floor plan adjustments will also be made. The goal is to ensure that the city property can hold its own over the next 30 years in terms of architecture, building services and energy efficiency.

We are handling the construction project and the approval procedure on behalf of the client as general planner and are thus coordinating the entire planning in-house.

We wish you
magical holidays
and a constant 2022.

Sincerely Christian W. Blaser
and the Blaser Architekten Team

The planned virtual tour through the exhibition 'Pandemic Waste' in Salzburg unfortunately had to be postponed again due to the renewed lockdown in Austria.

However, on January 27, 2022, a virtually transmitted round table discussion of the 'Initiative im Architekturhaus' will take place on the occasion of the exhibition 'Pandemic Waste'. It has the working title 'Corona, the Waste, the Public Space and our Consumption Behavior' and will probably take place with the participation of Christian W. Blaser.

You will receive further information soon via our schauraum-b newsletter.

Just outside the typical Tuscan village of Civitella Marittima, Sabina and Christian W. Blaser have been cultivating a wonderful olive grove for several years. The oil produced here is olive oil of the highest quality, obtained directly from the olives using only mechanical methods.

The olive oil project 'La Cilera' was born with the acquisition of the Podere Cilera, built in 1650. Together with the passionate master, the Olivicoltore Umberto Brunelli, the olive grove belonging to the building was brought back to life. Just like the building, the olive grove belonging to it has a 350 year old history.

The work in the olive grove, the production of the oil and the collaboration with the olive growers gives us great pleasure. The oil is 100% natural, cultivated with native olive varieties from the Maremma. The trees are cultivated by hand and the olives are first cold pressed and twice filtered in the local oil mill, the cooperative in Civitella Marittima.

more information: www.cilera.ch

This fall, construction work began on the 'Health Education Campus' (BZG Bildungszentrum Gesundheit Basel-Stadt, Bern University of Applied Sciences, BfG Berufsfachschule Gesundheit Baselland and OdA Gesundheit beider Basel) in House B of Spenglerpark Münchenstein. In the summer of 2023, the new 'Campus Education Health' will be put into operation. At that time, the temporary facilities we have created in the Klybeck area will be vacant again. In addition to the 'Health Education Campus', the KV Pro vocational school will also move into its new rental space. In addition, another one and a half floors of upgraded space that has not yet been rented will then be available.

For this project we are working in various mandates as architects, but we are also responsible for the equipment, the relocation, the IT etc.. We are pleased to be involved in such complex and holistic tasks and look forward to continued good cooperation with the owners, users, client representatives, professional planners, specialists, TU's, authorities and contractors.

At Paradiesrain in Binningen, a multi-family house with five residential units for rent is being built. As a result of the inheritance of a large plot of land, the clients decided to develop the land with spacious attractive rental apartments.

The cooperation with the committed building owner has just started. We will submit the building application in the spring so that construction can begin in the fall of 2022. We are looking forward to this exciting project.

Tecalto is the most important Swiss supplier of fittings, hoses, tubes and fasteners for hydraulic lines.

Blaser Architekten were entrusted with the planning and realization of the tenant rochade of the company Tecalto AG from house A in the Spenglerpark Münchenstein to the external property at Klybeckstrasse 190. The installation took place on an area of 220 m2 on the first floor of the commercial property.

Swiss Prime Site AG, one of the largest property owners in Switzerland, owns a coherent complex of buildings on Aeschenvorstadt, Elisabethenstrasse and Henric-Petri-Strasse, which extends over several properties. In cooperation with the property manager Wincasa AG, Blaser Architects determine the condition and potential of these properties and derive possible measures.

For this condition analysis, we work as general planners with our proven team of specialist planners, as well as with specialists and companies for soundings.

Between summer and autumn, we were able to complete various tenant improvements in House F of Stücki Park Basel. In October, for example, the company METTLER TOLEDO and its 11-strong team moved into Level 3 of the building. The company is a leading global manufacturer and provider of precision instruments and services for use in laboratories and production.

We were also able to complete the premises for the plug&work concept on the 1st and 2nd levels of Building F. Currently, further tenant extensions are being planned and implemented for the company TFL Ledertechnik on Level 4 and the company Ridgeline Therapeutics on Levels 8 and 9.

This marks another milestone on the way to an innovative research and development campus on the Stücki site.

On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, Novartis is creating a building for the public on the Novartis Campus in Basel that is dedicated to shared learning and dialogue about science.

The Novartis Pavilion under construction, for which Blaser Butscher Architekten have been commissioned as Local Architect and General Planner, was awarded a Media Architecture Biennale Award in the category "Future Trends and Prototypes".

The zero-energy media façade was developed by Studio iart in collaboration with design architect Michele De Lucchi. It consists of a network of organic photovoltaic cells and double-sided LED elements. The façade generates its own electricity for the discreet play of light with which the pavilion will appear after its opening in spring 2022.

further information: iart

At the beginning of October 2021, the paint manufacturer Caparol was able to move into its new premises in Dreispitz, at Frankfurt-Strasse 54 in Münchenstein, on schedule.

Blaser Architekten were responsible for the planning and execution of the new sales, administration, production and storage facilities for Caparol Farben AG as general planners.

Due to the scheduling dependencies, the planning and execution of the project was realised in a compact form using the speed planning method together with a work group from Stamm AG. The project was completed on schedule and within the estimated costs.

We were very pleased to have the opportunity to welcome you to our annual event again this year.

On 28 October, our traditional join us event took place at WKL-125 on the Klybeck site. Thus, in the immediate vicinity of some of our projects, with the best view of the Novartis Pavilion, which is currently under construction.

We hope you enjoyed the evening as much as we did!

Click here for the photo gallery:
join us 2021

The insurance company Schweizer Ärzte Genossenschaft owns four apartment buildings at Bäumlihofstrasse 181, 183, 187, 189 in the Hirzbrunnen quarter in Basel.

Blaser Architekten prepared a conversion and renovation concept with a comparative project for determining the maximum building development, which now forms the basis for further work as general planner. We looked into the question of how the property could be sustainably and successfully positioned in the rental market in the future. From the study of variants, a decision was made in dialogue with the client and the management Adimmo AG.

We are now preparing the project and submitting the building application for the total renovation with adaptation of the floor plan layouts and an attic conversion of the properties.

As president of the Architecture Dialogues Foundation, Christian W. Blaser launched the Architecture Week Basel (AWB) together with its managing director Fausto de Lorenzo. Through a diverse programme, the AWB promotes architectural innovations and positions by inviting leading architects, experts, students and the public to experience and think about the city as a living space in a new way.

As part of the first Architecture Week Basel 2022, the Basel Pavilion will formulate a radical and aesthetic thesis for circular building with reused components. It is a project developed by us in collaboration with Architektur Basel. The Open Call published at the end of August received 182 submissions from all over the world. Obviously, the question of circular building strikes a chord with the times. In the end, the jury of experts selected six teams for the final competition phase. In addition to the six teams from the Open Call, all four expert jurors were allowed to nominate two teams each directly for the competition. We are looking forward to seeing which pavilion we can finally discover on the construction site in the southern Dreispitz in May 2022. (Photo © Lukas Gruntz / Architektur Basel)

further information: Architektur Basel / Architektur Dialoge

The Architecture Dialogues Foundation pursues the goal of communicating contemporary architecture to a broad public and promoting dialogue about architecture. For the Friends of Architecture Dialogues, we organise architectural trips with architectural tours.

This year, our trip took us to Munich. From 7 to 10 October, we visited, among other things, the urban development area 'Werksviertel Mitte', progressive cooperative housing projects but also the BMW-Welt, the Allianz Arena and Max Dudler's Munich office. One day before the official opening, we were also guided through the Gasteig complex, a 'providorium' of the Munich Isar Philharmonic Orchestra.

Construction work on the GRID innovation and commercial complex is taking place on the BaseLink site in the Bachgraben area of Allschwil. The building was designed by Herzog & deMeuron.

In addition to the general planning mandate for the interior fit-out of the anchor tenant SIP 2.0 'Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area', Blaser Architekten were commissioned by the owner Senn Resources AG with the authority engineering as well as the architectural planning of the tenant fit-out for the company Basilea Pharmaceutical AG and the Department of Biomedical Engineering of the University of Basel. We will start with the interior works of SIP 2.0 in October.

The BZG and BfG health schools of the cantons of Basel-Stadt and Baselland were located in the Spenglerpark buildings in Münchenstein. Due to the complete renovation of these buildings, they were temporarily accommodated in six existing buildings in the Klybeckareal. A total of approx. 20'000 m2 of temporary school space was created there.

Blaser Architekten worked as general planners for the landowner Rhystadt Basel AG.
The depth of penetration into the buildings was very different due to the varying condition of the buildings and the user requirements.

Construction began in mid-November and school operations started at the beginning of August 2021, at the start of the new school year.

After a trip to Japan in 1953, Werner Blaser published his book on classical Japanese architecture. His studies of 17th-18th century wooden buildings document minimalist, grid-based structures with strong black-and-white photographs, some colour photographs and numerous line drawings. This highly acclaimed publication contributed significantly to the influence of Japanese aesthetics on Western architecture, art and graphic design.

The book, with recent contributions by Tadao Ando, Inge Andritz and Christian W. Blaser, has now been reissued by Birkhäuser and will be available from October 2021.

While the BZG, BfG and OdA health schools as well as the KV Avanti continuing education school are being relocated to various temporary premises, including the Klybeck site, the definitive classrooms in the Campus for Health will be built into buildings A and B in Spenglerpark from 2021 to 2023.

Blaser Architekten are responsible for the tenant improvements, logistics, relocation and environmental design of the entire Spenglerpark ensemble as general planners.

For Credit Suisse Anlagestiftung Real Estate Switzerland as landowner, we are also responsible for the conversion of building B. The most striking structural intervention focuses on the installation of two large, multi-storey inner courtyards, which bring light into the deep building structure and serve as a recreation and meeting zone. In addition, the passerelle connecting Building B with Building A will be redesigned. We will start the construction work in October 2021.

The Novartis Pavilion will serve as a visitor center, inviting exchange and providing insights into drug research and development as well as the history of Novartis and its predecessor companies. Since the building will be open to the public, it is placed at the interface between the Novartis Campus and public space.

The first floor of the two-story pavilion will house event spaces, a hub for students as an extension of the school lab, and a public coffee shop. The centerpiece of the building will be the 'Miracles of Medicine' exhibit, which is divided into four sections. It will interactively provide information on topics such as 'life', 'disease' and 'innovative advances in medicine as well as healthcare'.

Blaser Butscher Architects were commissioned as Local Architect and General Planner for the planning and realization of the project. The design architect is the office of Michele De Lucchi Milano, which emerged as the winner of an international competition. The construction work is progressing well, in the meantime we are already in the expansion phase, and the pavilion and its exhibition are scheduled to open in the spring of 2022.

The single-family house on Drosselstrasse in Bottmingen, built in 1969, is currently being renovated and converted. In addition to the renovation of the building envelope, the first floor is undergoing the most reconstruction measures.

Entrance and living area will be completely redesigned and reorganized. The living space will be significantly enlarged by the demolition of a massive fireplace and will serve the family in the future for living, eating, cooking and playing. The exterior space is to be more connected to the interior. An unused garage on the first floor will be removed in favor of enlarging an existing study with a newly installed wet room.

"'I feel like I've come from a vacation.' This was the prompt feedback after the first yoga class I was allowed to give in Christian's office four years ago. At the time, I was still working as a landscape architect myself, and I was aware of how important effective relaxation, breathing and movement are in everyday office life.

In the weekly classes we strengthen the areas of the body that are typically affected by intensive computer work. Mind and emotions are relaxed in order to gain new strength mentally as well. The office yoga is a step towards work-life balance for the participants and the whole team.

The positive feedback from the employees of Blaser Architects ultimately inspired me to design a holistic stress management program, which I teach in offices and individual coaching sessions. Whether it's a workshop or a yoga class, my goal is to bring an hour of vacation to the city's offices."

The yoga team at Blaser Architects would like to sincerely thank Anika for the many great and relaxing yoga retreats! We will stay tuned and can only recommend the 'short vacations'.

https://www.yaa.life/

Bild: copyright Shutterstock

What influence do we have on the emergence of pandemics and what influence do pandemics with their conditions have on our future and our spaces?

Next presentation: Wednesday 16.06.21, 18h - Prevention
David Schärer, founding partner communication agency ROD.
'Covid-19 and the public'

The talk will take place online, YouTube access is directly through our website under the corresponding event.

For this project, schauraum-b is collaborating with the FHNW School of Art and Design, Institute HyperWerk, Basel.

more Information: www.schauraum-b.ch

The paint manufacturer Caparol now has its production and sales premises in Spenglerpark. As a result of the overall renovation of Spenglerpark, Blaser Architekten were actively involved in the search for replacement locations. In the Dreispitz area of Münchenstein, Caparol found ideal premises in the property at Frankfurstrasse 54. Blaser Architekten are responsible for the planning and execution of the new sales, administration, production and storage premises of Caparol Farben AG as general planners.

Due to the scheduling dependencies, the planning and execution of the project will be realized in a compact form in the speed planning procedure together with a work group of the company Stamm AG. The occupation will take place in September 2021.

INFORS HT is one of the world's leading developers and manufacturers of shakers and bioreactors.

After a small competition, Blaser Architects was asked to take over the planning and realization of the new presentation, show and training room in Bottmingen near Basel.

The realization is expected to start in March, and the premises will be completed by the end of May.

Due to the total renovation of building A in Spenglerpark Münchenstein, Blaser Architects were asked to take over the planning and realization of the tenant rochade of the company UPS from house A to the 1st floor of house C. The tenant rochade will be carried out by Blaser Architects.

For this purpose, the existing interior of the former premises of a retail store will be adapted to the new user requirements, a kitchen will be installed and the toilet facilities will be renewed.

Construction work has already begun and the premises will be put into operation in the summer of 2021.

In the property at Austrasse 32 in Basel, the new owner would like to freshen up a vacant, outdated 4 1/2 room apartment on the 2nd floor.

The bright apartment with balcony and spacious rooms has a lot of charm, but needs besides the refreshment of the surfaces, new modern wet areas with kitchen and bathroom.

With a few interventions, the apartment can be improved in a contemporary way. The kitchen should retain the flair of the old building apartment and at the same time serve as an extended living space.

After the start of construction work in February, the apartment should be ready for occupancy in April.

The BzG and BfG health schools of the cantons of Baselland and Baselstadt and the KV Avanti continuing education school are currently located in the Spenglerpark buildings in Münchenstein. As a result of the overall renovation of these buildings, they will be temporarily housed in five existing buildings in the Klybeckareal. A total of 17,000 m2 of temporary school space will be created there. Blaser Architekten are working as general planners for the landowner Rhystadt Basel AG.

The depth of penetration into the buildings varies greatly due to the different condition of the buildings and user requirements.

Construction began in mid-November, and school operations will begin after the summer vacations in 2021.

While the school is being relocated to the temporary facilities, the definitive school premises will be rebuilt in the Campus for Health in Spenglerpark Buildings A and B from 2021 to 2023. Here, we are allowed to provide part of the architectural services for Credit Suisse Anlagestiftung Real Estate Switzerland as the landowner.

The search for a new tenant for the traditional Neubad restaurant in Binningen revealed that the continued operation of the premises as a restaurant was no longer opportune. Blaser Architekten developed a concept with residential use on the first floor. The commercial uses on the 1st and 2nd floors would be retained.

In addition, after clarifications with the preservation of historical monuments, we are investigating an extension - also with residential use - on the property on the Dorenbach.

We wish you
a hopeful start
into the new year and look forward
to one or the other encounter
in whatever form...

Sincerely Christian W. Blaser
and the Blaser Architects Team

We say goodbye
to a year in which closeness
was only possible to a limited extent.

We wish you
imaginative holidays
and a promising 2021.

Sincerely Christian W. Blaser
and the Blaser Architects Team

The Architecture Dialogues organize an annual architecture excursion to neighboring countries. This autumn, 25 people interested in architecture set off from Bolzano for the valleys and mountains under the expert guidance of the Architecture Foundation South Tyrol. We visited metal and wood construction companies and then went on to visit places in the mountains, such as Zaha Hadid's Messmer Mountain Museum, resorts, cellars, a straw bale house and the only whiskey distillery in Italy. We also visited old towns with successful architectural interventions.

Contemporary architecture in South Tyrol is increasingly attracting international attention. The architectural trail ranges from intact small towns, modern buildings in art nouveau style to the present. Architecture in South Tyrol is characterized by different typologies and architectural styles, which have been created over time by historical and cultural influences. A variety of buildings and cities with one common denominator: great architectural care.

A facility for RadioLigand therapies is to be built into a laboratory building in Basel, Switzerland, constructed in 1973. The planning and realization of such RLT rooms is very demanding due to the work with extremely sensitive methods and high safety requirements. The Research and Development Department needs the premises to be ready by the end of 2021. The tight time window leads to unconventional planning and realization methods.

Blaser Architects is working on this general planning mandate in cooperation with Butscher Architects.

Novartis is currently implementing programs around the world that aim to improve the utilization of the jobs provided. The efficient use of resources such as energy, water or treated air should contribute to the achievement of the sustainability goals that the company has set itself. To this end, existing office space is being converted into so-called Activity Based Working Enviroments, in which associates are no longer assigned fixed desks but are instead assigned to areas. In these areas a variation of different workplace qualities will be provided, the employees can decide where they want to work, how long they want to work and which environment best supports their current activity.

The workplaces have to be cleared when leaving, lockers are provided on each floor for personal work utensils.

On the Basel campus, the Asklepios 8 office building, designed by Herzog & deMeuron, was converted accordingly. In line with sustainability goals, the existing furniture was reinstalled, partially converted and supplemented where necessary.

Blaser architects were responsible for the planning and construction management of the new working environment.

On the 1st floor of a newly renovated office building in Binningen, the medical practice Dr. Wagener for general internal and pharmaceutical medicine was installed on a vacant total area of 220 m2. In addition to the reception/waiting area and the treatment rooms, the practice also has a laboratory, a kitchen and a loggia for the practice team.

We started construction work in May of this year, and the practice was handed over on time and within budget at the end of August.

The Spalenberg office building in Basel is owned by IGIMO AG, represented by Schroders Investment Management (Switzerland) AG, Zurich. The tenant of the basement, ground floor and second floor was Credit Suisse AG with a bank branch. The University of Basel will move into the 2nd to 4th floor.

Blaser architects planned and realized the basic extension of the property. Subsequently, we received the mandate for the tenant fit-out for the University of Basel, which will be completed by the end of February 2021.

The expansion of the Migrosbank's rental space will be carried out by Diener & Diener Architects after completion of the basic expansion and will involve the first floor, the 1st floor and the 3rd basement.

The rooms on the first floor are accessed via the external stairway/ramp. Via the 24-hour zone with the ATMs, one reaches the entrance hall with the six glazed consultant boxes, a meeting room and various ancillary rooms. On the second floor there is an open-space office with 26 workstations, meeting rooms, two individual offices and a lounge.
The branch will thus become the main headquarters of Migrosbank in Basel.

Construction started in October 2020 and the building is scheduled to be occupied by the end of March 2021.

On the BaseLink site in the Bachgraben area in Allschwil, construction work is underway on the GRID innovation and commercial complex. The building was designed by Herzog & deMeuron.

In addition to the interior fittings for the anchor tenant SIP 2.0 'Switzerland Innovation Park Bark Basel Area', Blaser Architects were commissioned by the owner Senn Resources AG with the architectural planning of the tenant fittings for Basilea Pharmaceutical AG and the Department of Biomedical Engineering of the University of Basel.
(Visualization: copyright Herzog & deMeuron)

You can now register on our website for the Blaser Architects newsletter.

Or are you interested in information about the showroom-b series? You can register for this as well.

Subscribe Newsletter Blaser Architekten and/or schauraum-b

The 2nd floor of the building at Freie Strasse 70 / Kaufhausgasse 5 in Basel, which has been rented by Bank E. Gutzwiller & Cie. since 2018, was converted into an office floor. The main premises of the bank are located at the directly adjacent Kaufhausgasse 7.

The conversion of the office space included the enlargement of the meeting room facing the inner courtyard and the creation of an additional two-person office in the current OpenSpace - Office. In order to improve access to the remaining bank premises, an already existing breakthrough to the building at Kaufhausgasse 7 was restored. The new offices were connected to the cooling system already built for the COS store.

The Spenglerpark in Münchenstein consists of the three buildings A, B and C with a total usable area of approx. 80'000 m2. The total renovation of building A requires various tenant rochades planned by Blaser Architects.

The company Chemgineering will receive a new open space office on the 4th floor of building B on approx. 3'000 m2. The logistics company UPS, with 1'600 m2 of space, moves into the 1st floor of House C with its 130 workstations. On the first floor of House B, the companies will move into their warehouses, sales areas and workshops after the conversion of the loading ramp.

The building application will be submitted in April and construction will start at the beginning of 2021. In June 2021, the areas will be ready for occupation so that the 2-year conversion of building A can take place rent-free.

Lüdin AG has sold its site between Bahnhofstrasse, Rheinstrasse and Schützenstrasse in Liestal ("Lüdin Site") to Credit Suisse Real Estate Fund SIAT. The owners intend to plan and realize an attractive residential development and service areas on the site on the basis of the urban development guideline project.

Blaser Architects, as local architects, together with the New York office Karpf Khalili Architects and the landscape architecture office CZ Studio Associates from Venice, are actively involved in this interesting and important development for Liestal within the framework of an anonymous invited project competition.

From October 12 to October 16, 2020, ArchitekturDialoge will organize various lunchtime tours as part of the Architecture Days in Basel. This year's theme is 'Company premises as an opportunity'.

Company premises have been shaping the Basel area for decades. They are an important spatial and architectural resource for the identity and development of our city. What opportunities are offered by their conversion or construction? We will visit five sites and invite five dancers who will present their view of the buildings in a performance.

You will find the exact program soon under: www.architekturdialoge.ch

Our revised Blaser Architekten website is online as of today - with a new design and slightly modified structure.

The structural revision of the homepage reflects the diversity and individuality of our office. The website also serves our internal history and was provided with project and office data for internal use. The web relaunch was developed, designed and realized with Iwan Raschle, Raschle & Partner, Atelier für Gestaltung und Kommunikation, Bern. We hope you enjoy browsing through our website.

As a temporary solution, we built three botany laboratories for the PMI (Plant Microbe Interaction) department of the University of Basel into existing offices on the 2nd floor of the historic, listed Bernoullianum. In addition, the warehouse and archive, also on the 2nd floor of the unprotected annex, were converted into an open-space office, so that the necessary workstations for the new laboratories could be provided. At the same time, we renovated existing laboratories for Quaternary Geology on the ground floor and basement and modernized the equipment also with regard to the new research activities. The new rooms could be handed over to the users on time and within the estimated budget.

This year we are pleased to surprise you with a short film instead of our traditional customer aperitif 'join us'. So you can get in touch with one or the other member of our team, despite the existing circumstances. We wish you much pleasure and look forward to our event next year.

click here to see the film: miss.you / join.us

On the 1st floor of a newly renovated commercial building in Binningen-Dorenbach, a medical practice for 'orthopaedics' was built in on a total empty area of 410 m2. In addition to the reception/waiting area, the treatment rooms and an X-ray room, the practice also has a kitchen and two loggias for the practice team. The two large inserted loggias provide very good daylight conditions and some rooms are illuminated from three sides.

Construction work began in March of this year and the practice was put into operation in June 2020.

The EM Center, which will be completed in 2017, meets all the expectations with which Novartis started work on this facility in 2015. For this reason, the EM has been extended by a microscope.

Adaptation of the building services, especially in the areas of ventilation, air conditioning, cooling and radiation insulation, significantly increased the complexity of the project. A self-sufficient HVAC system was created, which does not affect the running system. The cooling ceilings for the new microscopy room were attached to the house cooling network, as were the air coolers. The room was conditioned according to the requirements. In case the temperature range could not be maintained, the entire corridor was preconditioned. The monoblock was already designed for the expansion scenario at the beginning. The underlay floor in the area of the stands was removed and the sensitive equipment was placed on a concrete base. Walls and ceilings were designed to match the existing EM. A Faraday cage was installed for final shielding.

The H&M branch in the Shopping Arena near the St. Gallen stadium, which opened in 2008, was renovated and extended.

The existing 1,300 m2 of retail space on the ground floor and basement was increased by 700 m2 to a total of 2,000 m2 in the basement. The sales areas and ancillary rooms were redesigned in accordance with the new H&M design concept, with an additional lift being installed as a vertical connection to the existing escalator. Blaser Architects acted as general planners for the conversion. The work was carried out by the general contractor in four stages during ongoing operations and began in January 2020, with the opening of the retail spaces taking place in May 2020.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

The historic building of Wirtschafts-Treuhand AG on Arnold Böcklin-Strasse in Basel, built in 1906, has been rebuilt and renovated several times. The former company flat on the 2nd floor was redesigned as office space, the existing offices were structurally adapted and refurnished. All surfaces were refreshed. However, the historical character was always retained in all the conversion measures.

Employees now have direct access to the courtyard garden and from the bicycle parking area into the building with new shower and changing facilities in the basement. On the ground floor, the entrance area, among other things, has been given a fresh design and a new open lounge with a kitchenette and, as originally planned, an exit to the garden has been created. All bathrooms have been renewed, the furniture and lighting in the whole house has been modernized and niches with built-in furniture have been used optimally.

Due to its development, the Hirslanden Klinik Birshof needed a new operating theatre for orthopaedics, a smaller operating theatre for outpatient operations and an extension to the day clinic.

The new orthopaedics operating theatre was planned adjacent to the existing operating wing on the 2nd floor in order to ensure a good connection to the sterilisation department and the wardrobes. The floor heights in the old building of 2.56 m are too low for an operating theatre. Therefore the ceiling had to be moved one meter upwards. The necessary technical centre for the two operating theatres could thus be located above the operating theatre for orthopaedics.

The conversion and renovation work was carried out during ongoing operations. A major challenge here was also the schedule of the clinic. The project started in June 2019 and operations in the operating theatres were able to start at the end of January 2020. The conversion was planned by Butscher Architects and realised by Blaser Architects.

In a former laboratory building a research unit with animal station was installed on a floor area of 1'600 m2. On the first floor, in addition to the supply rooms, there is the vacuum disposal station and separate access for caretakers and scientists. On the top floor a new technical center was built due to the special use of the building to prevent possible cross-contamination with other uses in the building. The construction and operation of animal stables is subject to the highest standards of animal husbandry.

Six new animal housing rooms and the corresponding technical units were built to ensure the special room climates. Access of the keepers and access of the scientists is via the appropriate checkrooms into the hygiene zone. Only the cafeteria, which serves as a recreation room for the staff, is located outside the Animal Facility.

The construction work for the exterior design of the Carbahaus on Förrlibuckstrasse in Zurich was completed in January. The construction time was about six months. It led to an improvement in the access situation of the individual buildings and the creation of attractive outdoor recreation areas. The inner courtyards were opened and by moving the access stairs into the passerelle, a clear boundary was created for the tenants between private and public use. The proportion of green space around the existing plane trees was increased in favor of lingering on the new wooden decks.

One of the last contemporary witnesses of modernism, Werner's life ended in Basel on December 8, after 95 years. He first learned to be a cabinetmaker, then studied interior design and architecture. His path led via Finland and Alvar Aalto to Japan, where he published a book about temples and teahouses, which convinced Mies van der Rohe to create a first book about Mies together with him. Later followed more than 100 other books on the architecture of famous architects we Ando, Calatrava, Foster, Jahn, Souto de Moura, Piano. His creativity is also immortalized in a dozen buildings, in his furniture and several exhibitions.

Thanks to his personal relationships with many world-famous architects, Basel has also been able to enjoy top-class architectural lectures since 1980. Christian W. Blaser continues this tradition to this day with the resulting Architecture Dialogues Foundation.

Until two years ago, Werner worked up his 'Living Archive' in our office, which contains photos, plans and objects that formed the material of the many books and exhibitions.

On the BaseLink site in the Bachgraben area in Allschwil, excavation has begun for the GRID innovation and commercial complex. The building was designed by Herzog & deMeuron.

Blaser Architekten AG were selected as general planners for the interior design of the anchor tenant SIP 2.0 'Switzerland Innovation Park Bark Basel Area'. The new building of the entire commercial complex will be constructed in two stages. From mid 2022 SIP will be able to move into the approximately 6'000 m2 rental space as part of the first stage.

Here, as a platform for the exchange of knowledge between publicly and privately financed research institutions and the business community, they will offer the following services: Flexibly usable infrastructures (offices, laboratories, workshops, common rooms); infrastructure-related services and innovation services Target groups are researchers from Swiss and foreign universities and research institutions as well as from Swiss and foreign large companies, SMEs and start-ups.

After the Technology Park in Stücki Park Basel, this is already the second project that Blaser Architects have been allowed to create for the target audience 'Research and Start-Ups'. Rendering: copyright Herzog & deMeuron

Our staff outing this year took us to the forest area of Breitenbach in the canton of Solothurn at the end of October, accompanied by a forester on one of the few rain-free days in October. We learned a lot about the work of foresters and the direct impact of climate change on our forest areas. In addition, we were able to lend a hand ourselves and plant some young trees. The successful excursion was concluded with a cozy, well-deserved dinner in a nearby mountain inn.

Now that the shell of the first two extension buildings (an office and a laboratory building) has been completed and the interior work in the building rented by Lonza Drug Product Services is progressing on schedule, we will start planning the second stage from 2020.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will thus realize two further laboratory buildings that will complete Stücki Park. The shell construction is expected to start in spring 2021, so that the new laboratory spaces will be ready for occupancy from 2023.

On June 18, 2019, we were able to celebrate the topping-out ceremony at Leimenstrasse 39. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the contractors and specialist planners involved for the good cooperation so far. Currently, we have started with the interior construction. The apartments will be ready for occupancy from November.

In July, construction work began on redesigning the outdoor spaces of the Carbahaus on Förrlibuckstrasse in Zurich. The construction time is around four months. It will lead to an improvement of the access situations of the individual buildings and an enhancement of the outdoor recreation areas. The courtyard will be opened up and the relocation of the access stairs will create more private zones for the tenants within the building perimeter. In addition, the staircases, which are offset to the outside, serve the purpose of signaling and make it easier to find the addresses.

The conversion of the WRO-1094 office and laboratory building on the Rosental site in Basel will be largely completed in September. The structural measures were carried out on the 4th floor. Here, a new API area (work with highly active substances) with personnel locks, spray shower, weighing booth and material pass-throughs was built. This also required fire protection measures and adjustments to the building services installations in the HVAC area.

As a temporary measure, we are building three botany laboratories for the PMI (Plant Microbe Interaction) department into existing offices for the University of Basel on the 2nd floor of the historic Bernoullianum, which is a listed building. In addition, new office space is being created in the non-protected annex. In parallel, we are building new laboratory workstations for Quaternary Geology on the ground floor and in the basement. Completion is scheduled for spring 2020 and December 2019 for the ground floor and basement areas.

With the completion of the structural work, the Stücki Park planning team has reached a milestone in the construction of the first stage of the Stücki Park expansion. Together with the general contractor Halter AG, the Blaser Architekten team is looking forward to the completion of the first two buildings (one office and one laboratory building each) in 2020 and to the start of the second construction phase.

Due to the flood protection project of the canton Basel Landschaft, the city of Laufen announced a competition for the replacement of the Norimatt footbridge by a bridge with a significantly longer span.

To symbolize the bridge between the Norimatt and Nau areas of Laufen, Blaser Architekten, in collaboration with the engineering firm Jauslin Stebler, proposed an arched bridge with a slightly curved roadway. The elegant arch connects the existing ice rink and recreation hall with the housing developments planned near the Birs.

The third ArchitekturDialoge trip took us three days to Milano, where we combined the Arch Week Milano 2019 taking place there with a small Architek_Tour. During this tour Stefano Boeri explained us the Bosco Verticale and we visited the studio of architect and designer Michele de Lucchi. In addition, we visited the buildings Torre Pirelli (Gio Ponti), Torre Velasca (BBPR), Fondazione Feltrinelli (Herzog & De Meuron), Fondazione Prada (OMA) as well as the Armani Silo (Tadao Ando) in whose rooms a wonderful Ando and Armani exhibition could be seen. Besides the architectural highlights we also enjoyed the Lombard food culture.

The trip with 20 participants was organized by ArchitekturDialoge. They were accompanied by Christian W. Blaser as president and Fausto De Lorenzo as managing director of AD. The tour was guided by Bo Kojich, who actively supported us in the organization with his office REISEN ZUR KUNST.

The historic building of Wirtschafts-Treuhand AG on Arnold Böcklin-Strasse in Basel, which was built in 1906 and has been converted several times, is being converted and renovated.

The service apartment on the 2nd floor will be redesigned as office space. The exit from the first floor into the garden will be restored as it originally existed. All finishes will be refreshed, and the existing offices will be structurally adjusted and refurnished. This will make them more open and flexible.

This year's join us event took place on May 23 at the Wolf under the moto smart city.
We enjoyed the evening with you very much.

Hier geht es zur Fotostrecke: join us 2019

From the 3rd quarter of 2020, Lonza Drug Product Services will move into a complete building of the Stücki Park Basel extension currently under construction. The life science supplier is already an important tenant at Stücki Park.

The expansion, which will take place in two stages, is thus progressing according to plan. By 2023, the four new buildings, each with seven and eight upper floors respectively, will create space for a total of 1,700 workplaces. The building owner, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, can thus meet the needs of the region for laboratory and office space.

On Monday 17 September 2018, the topping-out ceremony took place at the Burgunderstrasse construction site in Basel. Once again, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the craftsmen, contractors and suppliers for their excellent cooperation to date on this challenging construction site.

As of January 2019, the building will be ready for occupancy with its multi-story and maisonette apartments, the two studios and the medical practice.

For the fifth year in a row, Bauknecht and Blaser Architekten jointly organized the Veloplausch to nearby Alsace on August 17, 2018. Once again, the event took place under the expert guidance of former Swiss professional cyclist Stefan Mutter. Forty cycling enthusiasts mastered the three tours offered. For the first time, there was also the possibility to complete the easier tour with Stromer E-bikes.

At the end of August 2018, the foundation stone was laid for the first stage of the expanded office and laboratory space in Stücki Park. This marks the start of the expansion of the existing space by around 27,000 m2 in two stages with the addition of four new buildings with expanded offices and laboratories, thus almost doubling the existing stock. By the end of 2023, Stücki Park is to become a business location with a total of 4,000 jobs and thus a strong impact for the entire Basel region. Blaser Architekten is working on the project in collaboration with the general contractor Halter AG.

According to a supplement in the Basler Zeitung, the Center of Excellence for Cryo-Electron Microscopy on the Novartis Campus, which began operations a year ago and was designed by Blaser Architects, is well on its way to providing groundbreaking research results in drug development. Capturing images of never-before-seen drug targets raises high hopes.

The Friedrich Miescher Institute and Novartis are supporting each other in the many research projects that can benefit from the revolutionary, but very high investment, technology. Already today, researchers' expectations of the new technology are being exceeded, and some things that seemed almost impossible before now seem feasible.

This year's join us event took place on March 1 at the former Musik Hug and was well attended as always.
We enjoyed the evening with you very much.

Hier geht es zur Fotostrecke: join us 2018