BASEL-STADT: 4 PRoPoSALS - ETH Basel

The Inner City
Leisure activities dominate the city centre. Housing has
been reduced to very specific high standard sites. The city
centre structures itself around the socialising factor and
central attractions, illustrated by the range of shopping
offers, gastronomy, cultural activities and possibilities,
most of which “only“ take place in the city centre. Events
spreading over the city centre and along the rhine, such as
the “Floss“, “Chill am rhy“ or the “Fasnacht“ bring live and
themes to public spaces. All activities and topics seem to be
concentrating themselves along a distinct “path” through
the city, connecting Basel SBB with Badischer Bahnhof: from
the cultural site of Theater and Kunsthalle to Barfüsserplatz
and Steinenvorstadt with a very high concentration around
gastronomy and some shopping opportunities. Freie Strasse
and Gerbergasse, the “main” shopping streets lead to
the market square, where a small daily food market takes
place. The market square seems empty, offering no spatial
qualities for people to spend time and around the Markthof,
Fischmarkt and Schifflände have been spatialy reduced
to traffic and completely cut off from the historic urban
structure around Spalenberg by the Spiegelhof-building. The
Mittlere Rheinbrücke leads to Claragraben with Rheingasse
and Klingental, where gastronomy grows very dense
– Food in Basel II – – City Core: Central Market –
Schneidergasse: “Hasenburg“, next to Imbergasse (originally named “Ingwergässlein“ because of spice trading) and
Andreasplatz, a former market space. “Gifthüttli“ on the right was the first restaurant in Basel to serve both wine and beer.
again, especially along the rhine. Restaurant “Lällekönig“
at Schifflände has existed for over 200 years and today still
sticks his tongue out to Kleinbasel, symbolising the historic
significance of the site. After Claraplatz, Clarastrasse connects
the exhibition square with Badischer Bahnhof.
Basle always fed itself through it’s Hinterland: farmers came
to the town centre to sell their produce. As a commercial city
the element of travel was very important for it’s development.
Schifflände establishes the situation where the topic of food
and the city centre historicly come together: as a “deliveryspot
and entrancepoint“. Food was brought to Basel over the
Rhine and the Mittlere Brücke and from Schifflände it
was distributed to all market spaces along the Birsig.
The Birsig flowing through the inner city and finally in to the
Rhine, just under the site of Schifflände was open until 1899
and separated the historic city: todays Falknerstrasse didn’t
exist as can be seen on the following plans. There has never
really been food production within the historic city walls.
Food was traditionally influenced by Germany and France
(Markgräflerland, Baden, Sundgau, Elsass), which is also the
reason why there is no real “Basel cuisine“.
– 520 – – 521 –
Unterer Rheinweg: “Mittlere Rheinbrücke“ and Schifflände seen from Kleinbasel
DRAFT
Market square: Market on a Tuesday
© ETH Studio Basel