BRH-Architekten / weberbuess architekten
Primary schools Rittergasse, Basel, conversion and refurbishment
best architects 23
renovation and addition
Place
Basel, Switzerland
Photos
Roman Weyeneth
Description
The listed historical school building, which was built in the style of the Florentine Renaissance, shines again in its old splendour after the later additions have been removed. Due to the increasing demand for school space, this former secondary school building from the nineteenth century was returned to its original purpose. The rooms perfectly meet the requirements of a modern school. After the reconstruction, the eastern part of the building contains three classrooms on each of the four floors plus a shared group room. The western wing houses the day structure as well as additional classrooms and the school administration. In addition to the refurbishment and reuse of original constructive components, the old structure of the classrooms and the representative staircase were reconstructed. The lift, which had been subsequently installed in the staircase, was moved to a side area to make the interior of the building brighter and the layout more coherent. The distinctive cast-iron columns have been restored as well. By removing subsequent office partitions, it was possible to restore the historic exam hall, which today serves as auditorium. The sculptural wall and ceiling panelling was reinterpreted based on the original design. Now, it both divides the room and improves the acoustics. The original colour scheme was consulted for reference and was adopted for the building envelope, while inside the original colours were slightly altered and brightened up.