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Local News Summary of March, 15th

  • Plans for new high-rise at Exhibition Square welcomed by State Council
  • Alexander Kluge visits Beyeler Foundation
  • Explosion danger after accident on A2

Plans for new high-rise at Exhibition Square welcomed by State Council

Basel’s State Council has welcomed plans for a major new development at Messe Square and have handed over the new construction plans to the Grand Council.

MCH Messe Basel plans to replace the car park at Basel’s Exhibition Square with 1,448 underground parking spaces and a high-rise building comprising apartments, a hotel, office space, and rooms allocated for the use of residents in Kleinbasel. 

The construction is set to be put in motion by a private investor.

In a statement, Basel’s State Council said the concept of an “exhibition space” in the city should be continued. Relocating the car park underground also creates new possibilities to make better use of the space at Messe Square in the future, the statement added.

The goal of the new building, among other factors, is to revitalise Basel’s exhibition square and the Rosentalanlage: By opening a day nursery, for example, or a local shop, a library, or a café. Furthermore, the planned apartments and office spaces increase population density at a spot which is perfectly accessible with public transport, the statement from the State Council said.

MCH Messe Basel plans to make the project a reality through a private investor group – similar to the Basel Trade Fair Tower. The chosen investor group will be responsible for the deconstruction and relocation of the car park and the new construction of the Rosental tower.

Around the Trade Fair Tower, other significant high-rises, such as the current construction at Rosentalstrasse 17 as well as the Clara tower at corner Clarastrasse/Riehenring will be erected. More than 280 apartments as well as office spaces are also planned for this area.

Higher buildings

MCH Messe Basel conducted a test planning phase for the old car park in early 2013 to learn about the feasibility of the new project and the potential of increased usage and strategies for the current parking spaces. On this basis, the decision was made to merge the two existing construction plans No. 157 (Trade Fair Tower area) and No. 182 (Exhibition Centre area) to form one plan. Both original plans were key areas of MCH Messe Basel.

The requirements for the car park reconstruction are set to be changed with the new construction plan, and the details for the planned Rosental tower are specified. In particular, the plans focus on the maximum height of the new tower (110 metres) and its surface boundary line. Within this boundary line, a corresponding new construction project can then be realised.

This project includes a hotel with 140-200 rooms, about 90-140 apartments, and office spaces for ca. 500-600 work spaces. At least 1,000 square metres are reserved for local use (i.e. for a café, a day nursery, a library, etc.).

The replacement of the current car park and the construction of a new underground car park both had to undergo an environmental impact assessment. A report analysed the environmental effects, and a traffic assessment investigated how traffic will change in the area. The total traffic was limited to 580,500 passing vehicles per year – a central part of the construction plans. All requirements within Federal and Cantonal environmental laws have been fulfilled, the State Council said.

Objections from several parties

The VCS Verkehrsclub Schweiz (Basel), the Neutraler Quartierverein Oberes Kleinbasel, and the Wohngenossenschaft GRASS filed objections against the projects. The three objections are nearly identical and all draw attention to traffic-related and environmental aspects that emerge with the replacement of the current car park.

The Neutraler Quartierverein and GRASS cannot legally voice objections however their complaints were taken as suggestions. The members of VCS claim that the potential problem of traffic exceeding the set limits has not been clearly enough addressed. MCH Messe Basel has agreed to look at this issue more thoroughly. Basel’s state council suggested that the other objections voiced by the VCS should be dismissed.

Despite the plans for the revitalisation of Rosentalplatz, the Rosentalanlage itself will continue to serve as a site for various traditional events in the future – such as circus performances, as a Herbstmesse venue, and for events by MCH Messe Basel. As long as the area will continue to host such events, the Rosentalanlage will remain the same.

Alexander Kluge visits Beyeler Foundation

Writer and filmmaker Alexander Kluge is to visit the Beyeler Foundation for two evenings in April – for a dialogue with Germanist Ulrich Stadler and a talk with artist Georg Baselitz.

Alexander Kluge is convinced that film needs space. The acclaimed author and filmmaker produced the movie portrait “Hommage für Georg Baselitz (Parsifal)” for the current Baselitz exhibition at the Beyeler Foundation.

Lawyer, writer, theoretician, filmmaker: Alexander Kluge is one of the most versatile intellectuals of Germany. To celebrate the “Georg Baselitz” exhibition in the Beyeler Foundation (which continues until 29th April), he has created a film portrait of the artist.

On Wednesday, 4 April, at 7pm, Mr Kluge and Germanist Ulrich Stadler will host an evening about “a chronicle of feelings in a disruptive time. Stories about short and long times.” The term “disruptive” is used by Mr Kluge to “signify the destruction of recorded history, replaced by a new and rough age”.

The following evening, at 6.30pm, Mr Kluge will meet Georg Baselitz in the Beyeler Foundation. Their talk is titled “Natural Wit and Heroism” and is going to address the current exhibition and the stage festival “Parsifal” at the Bavarian State Opera, for which Mr Baselitz has designed the stage.

Alexander Kluge became famous as a writer and especially as a filmmaker in the 1960s. He was the first German filmmaker to be awarded the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival after the Second World War (for “Yesterday Girl” in 1966). He is one of the key figures of New German Cinema – by the mid-1980s, Mr Kluge had made 14 films and produced various talks with artists, scientists, musicians, filmmakers, writers, and politicians. Since the 2000s, he has also published more literary works.

Explosion danger after accident on A2

An accident between a car and a truck carrying methanol on the motorway caused traffic chaos throughout Basel yesterday (Wednesday).

The accident happened in the afternoon on the A2 motorway shortly after the Schweizerhalle tunnel near Muttenz. The car and truck collided side-on, causing the truck to overturn. One person was seriously injured in the accident and had to be flown to hospital by the Rega ambulance rescue service.

Adrian Gaugler, media spokesperson for Baselland police, told barfi.ch that the truck was carrying 24,000 litres of methanol. Due to a serious risk of of explosion, the A2 had to be blocked to all traffic both ways.

Passengers using the Basel Transport Services as well as other road users experienced long delays and interruptions because of the accident.