Department of Sport, Exercise and Health – University of Basel (DBSG)
| Client | Universität Basel |
| Architects | Caesar Zumthor Architekten, BaselStern Zürn Architekten, Basel |
| Planning | 2015-2019 |
| Execution | 2019-2021 |
| Construction cost | 39 Mio. Fr. |
| Services | Façade: Design phase Tender documentation phase |
| Photos | Valentin Jeck |
| Topics | ResearchCommercialSportEducationFacades |
The new building complex of the Department of Sport, Exercise and Health at the University of Basel includes, in addition to sports facilities such as a triple sports hall, cardio/strength and gymnastics rooms, also lecture halls, seminar rooms, offices and laboratories. In the southern part of the building, a central courtyard has been created, whose lush garden serves as a place to stay and relax. The various functions are presented externally as a unified whole, expressed by the continuous façade across all floors. Different sizes of window openings provide the rooms with the necessary daylight or the required protection from sunlight. The rhythm of the windows and their varying sizes give the building volume its dynamic effect.
The façade design focused on the deliberate reduction of visible materials to glass and concrete. On the exterior façades, large-format pivot windows were constructed in aluminium with thermal break. The windows were installed between the outer and inner concrete shells, with the planning aimed at minimal frame views. The courtyard façade appears as full-height glazing. Here, a timber curtain wall incorporating large-format lift-and-slide windows was employed.
