BIG � Bjarke Ingels Group � wins an invited competition to renovate and extend an existing 1960's concrete warehouse situated in a Basel industrial district which is being transformed into an alternative Arts District.
Located in Basel�s upcoming Dreispitz neighborhood, which is envisioned as an attractive and inviting urban quarter in Herzog de Meuron's master plan from 2003, the existing 18.000 m2 �Transitlager� built in the late 1960s  is to be renovated and extended by up to 7.000 m2 for residential and arts related purposes. The development is undertaken by Basel-based real estate group N"uesch Development for the Christoph Merian Foundation with the assistance of the UBS investment company Balintra AG. The winning entry which included engineers Bollinger Grohmann and HL Technik was chosen among proposals from Harry Gugger Studio and Lacaton Vassal among others.
The Transitlager�s surrounding industrial area is characterized by the geometries of infrastructures - the intersecting railways, loading docks and turning radiuses that weave through the city and create a puzzle of linear buildings with pointy corners and staggered facade lines into an untraditional and adventurous urban area consisting of galleries, restaurants and creative businesses.
The wide dimensions of the former warehouse, the mix of programs, the structural limits and the sun orientation creates a typology that is neither point house nor slab � a folded geometry adapted to the specifics of the existing structure and optimized for daylight and views. The staggered edge and pointy ends echoes the geometries of the industrial buildings of the neighborhood, creating a surprising familiarity with the heterogeneous surroundings.
Stripped from existing interior walls, the 60�s era structure offers flexible open plans and an exceptional high quality of concrete work. BIG proposes an extension that with a minimum of intervention, creates a maximum of programmatic diversity and feasibility. By keeping the interior finishing sparse and installations simple, BIG propose a building tailored for creative businesses, ateliers and workshops. BIG propose a building with a simple and economical material palette optimized for both artistic work and classy luxury.

Source: interiornews.com.