A roof terrace? A water slide? Or would you prefer a swimming pool over the rooftops of Basel? Together with 20 students from the Theodor Primary School, we racked our brains over which extensions would make Kunsthalle Basel even more fun for children and, within a week, jointly created a model of their visions. Could there be a building project, a conversion, or a redesign for the future in there?
Kunsthalle Basel became 150 years old in 2022, making it the oldest Kunsthalle in Switzerland. During these years, Kunsthalle Basel has been in constant change, growing and gaining many different building complexes and functions. Today, the Kunsthalle Basel not only houses the exhibition spaces themselves, but also the Swiss Architecture Museum (S AM), the Kunsthalle restaurant, the Campari Bar, and the Stadtkino Basel.
We used these conditions as an opportunity to think about the building and its contents with children. During the project week from May 22–26, the students had the opportunity to discover the building and its surroundings in a playful way. They were also inspired by the impressive city model of Basel. We collected the materials for the models at Offcut, the sustainable material market, and reused the found objects for the various annexes. The group was additionally accompanied by Andreas Schneider, an artist, and architect, who also made his studio available for the implementation.
The result is a colorful playground full of new places: a unique, gigantic exhibition space, seating, and resting areas, as well as a pool and a cosy garden on the roof.
The model will be on display in the foyer of Kunsthalle Basel from August 15-20. Don’t miss it!
In collaboration with the elementary school Theodor and Andreas Schneider.