ELEMENTAL and Nissen Wentzlaff Selected to Develop the BIS Headquarters in Basel, Switzerland

The competition jury has chosen the ELEMENTAL/Nissen Wentzlaff Architekten project from a pool of 10 designs by renowned international teams, such as Bjarke Ingels Group together with Gruner; Boltshauser Architekten; David Chipperfield Architects with Harry Gugger Studio; Dominique Perrault; Foster+Partners together with SKREINSTUDIOS; Herzog & de Meuron Basel; HHF Architekten ETH SIA BSA together with Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO; and Kengo Kuma & Associates together with F.A.B. Ther jury consisted of Sacha Menz, Beat Aeberhard, Louisa Hutton, Débora Mesa Molina, Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani, Christophe Girot, Thomas Jordan, Luiz Awazu Pereira da Silva, Monica Ellis, Bertrand Legros, and Véronique Neiss.

Aligned with the brief of the competition, the different projects proposed to replace the aging buildings adjoining the main BIS Tower and develop a modern facility that can accommodate expanding activities and growth, as well as create a campus-like work environment for staff and visitors.

In considering our plans for the future, we sought designs that would present concepts for modern meeting and working facilities. It is important for us that any new development on the site would be both environmentally sustainable and fit well into the Basel cityscape. The design selected by the jury helps to create a vision to bring these concepts to life. — BIS Secretary General Monica Ellis.

The winning proposal puts in place a new highrise structure on the site that seeks to connect and complement the existing tower designed by Swiss architect Martin Burckhardt. The jury appreciated this design gesture and praised the project’s extensive use of wood and its “forest” façade.

According to the official BIS announcement, the design complies also with the master plan approved by the city authorities back in 2015, allowing the company to build a total of up to 68,000 m² gross floor area above ground on the Tower site, including the existing Tower, which is 23,000 m2. Nevertheless, if the BIS decides to continue with the winning design, there will be a new planning and approval process at a later stage.