Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel / Ilg Santer Architekten

Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Interior Photography, Windows
© Daisuke Hirabayashi

Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Exterior PhotographyBiozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Interior PhotographyBiozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Interior Photography, ChairBiozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Interior Photography, KitchenBiozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - More Images+ 22

Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Exterior Photography
Courtesy of Ilg Santer Architekten

Text description provided by the architects. The University of Basel's Biozentrum is one of the world's leading institutes for basic molecular and biomedical research and teaching. Located near the Rhine River, the Biozentrum's 72- meter-high tower comprises 19 floors - 16 above ground and 3 below. A floor area of 23,440 square meters houses research facilities, lecture halls, seminar rooms, and scientific equipment for 400 researchers and 900 students. The Biozentrum building by Ilg Santer Architects, Zurich, is the first part of the new campus site where all faculties will be concentrated in one place. 

Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Interior Photography
© Daisuke Hirabayashi

The chrome and glass facade refers to the technology inside the building. In the structural design, only the facade columns, the building services and the four cores in the tower are load-bearing. The horizontal forces are transferred via frames in the form of Vierendeel trusses. By combining the façade columns with the four cores, the building abandons the conventional solution for high-rise buildings in favor of a floor plan that is as open as possible in the center, allowing great freedom in the division of the various floor levels.

Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Interior Photography
© Daisuke Hirabayashi

The top ten floors are dedicated to scientific research. Each floor can accommodate four research departments connected by a common meeting room. Adjacent floors are connected by an open stairwell and meeting zone that serve scientific exchange, interdisciplinary research, and innovative ideas that arise from chance discussions.

Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Interior Photography, Kitchen
© Daisuke Hirabayashi
Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Image 27 of 27
Axonometric diagram
Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Interior Photography, Chair
© Daisuke Hirabayashi

Below the research floors, the university's computer center, IT services, and central services such as workshops, laboratory equipment, and media preparation fit seamlessly into the tower's basic structure. Everything that does not fit into the floor structure, such as the large lecture halls or special laboratories, finds space in the spacious basement levels with numerous ancillary rooms, delivery, and underground parking. 

Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Table, Chair
© Daisuke Hirabayashi
Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Interior Photography, Chair
© Daisuke Hirabayashi

The white-plastered, three-story entrance hall - 44 x 35 meters long and 13 meters high - offers added spatial value. Here, the architects have combined the circulation areas for lecture halls, refectory, and library in one space. In this hall, the massive supporting structure in its inversion becomes a powerful and versatile interior space. Ilg Santer Architects see the hall as a publicly accessible urban forum for the entire campus. Therefore, they have attached all public functions such as cafeteria, reception, lecture halls, library, and store to it. The airy forum invites students to use it as a learning landscape as well. 

Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel  / Ilg Santer Architekten - Exterior Photography
© Daisuke Hirabayashi

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Project location

Address:Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland

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About this office
Cite: "Biozentrum Research Building University of Basel / Ilg Santer Architekten" 11 Oct 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/969945/biozentrum-research-building-university-of-basel-ilg-santer-architekten> ISSN 0719-8884

© Daisuke Hirabayashi

巴塞尔大学生物中心研究大楼,内外开放 / Ilg Santer Architekten

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