Natural History Museum and State Archives
Fifth Prize in the international competition for the Natural History Museum and State Archives in Basel, Switzerland.
Located within the Volta district, the new building for the Natural History Museum of Basel and the State Archives of Basel-Stadt is a new urban landmark and represents the opportunity to convert a cultural building into a meeting place.
Three clear geometric structures identify the new building in the neighbourhood and allow it to naturally integrate into its immediate urban environment: a longitudinal element exploits the maximum permitted height of 18m redefining the limits of the path creating a small public space in front of the museum; a vertical structure
with a total height of 40m is perceived as a new monument within the city; and a wide
entrance hall renews Vogesenplatz, the existing square in front of the building.
