Swiss Microcosm for Musicians


Having worked with urban rehab and building restoration most of my professional life, I cannot but fall for this Swiss project in Basel.

The photo above show an old factory dating from 1885, before it was transformed into an apartment building for nine musician families and their guests.

Well done Buol & Zünd Architekten, who managed to recycle and use most of the old building material in new, inventive ways. Apart from nine spacious apartments the renovated factory holds four guest apartments, a few training rooms, a sound/recording studio, a canteen and a children's play hall.

The renovation was finished 2010, and the below photos show what the old factory looked like when the families first saw their new homes.



Most of the structures in the old factory's wooden structure and massive walls was incorporated into the new development, forming lots of interesting spaces.



The frosted glass panels are inspired by a wire fence found in the area.





Compared to the nine regular apartments, the small guest studios are more modestly refurbished. Bathroom and kitchen facilities are hidden in sound-absorbing purpose-built walls, designed as a gallery with bunk beds on top. The wood-panelled encasement is designed to mirror the former warehouse shelves.



Below: One part the old factory was structurally weak and was turned with a open courtyard.



I found these images over at This Is Paper
WABI SABI interior design art photography
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