BRH-Architekten / Inès & Fabian Neuhaus
Kollegienhaus at the University of Basel, assembly hall renovation
best architects 23
interior work
Place
Basel, Switzerland
Photos
Roman Weyeneth
Description
The refurbished assembly
hall is a festive and distinguished setting. The plan to replace the
audio-visual equipment gave the initial impulse for transforming the venue from
a rather stiff-looking, outdated, muffled room into an inspiring, technically
advanced auditorium with great acoustics. Cleared of add-ons that muted the
acoustic space, the hall was reshaped through precise sculptural interventions
into its geometry to create a well-tuned architectural sound box. The rigid
stylistic vocabulary of the architecture was livened up to achieve an elegant,
more classical environment refined with elaborate details. The natural acoustics
of the auditorium now carry and support the spoken word as well as music to
provide excellent listening conditions. In conceiving a new spatial design,
reference was made to the initial appearance of the hall. The podium and panelling,
for example, adapt materials from the original design. The distinctive wooden
ceiling was cleared and completed with sculptural details for more definition.
To support a wider range of uses, including concerts and other festive events,
a larger podium was created. The lighting covers technical as well as
decorative functions, with pendant luminaires that echo the original lamps
providing elegant mood light. The colour scheme is subtle yet festive. The
slightly toned-down white of the wall surfaces is in tune with the wood of the
floor, the podium and the ceiling as well as the original windows and the new
golden-beige curtains.