Basel: New urban quarter at Wolf freight station

The indicative project calls for about 73,000 sq. m. of residential space, 36,000 sq. m. of office and service space, 62,000 sq. m. for commercial and logistics uses, and 11,000 sq. m. for public facilities, retail and restaurants, according to a joint statement from SBB and the canton of Basel-Stadt.

The guideline project takes into account the special location of the site between the rail field and St. Jakobs-Strasse and proposes a noise-protected courtyard extending in an east-west direction, the statement continues. The approximately 550 apartments would be built in the western part of the courtyard, while the commercial and office uses would be located in the eastern part, adjacent to the existing UAG building. This will remain as a transshipment point for logistics, and the open-air loading facility will also remain on the site.

The historic buildings are to be embedded in the courtyard space figure and thus strengthen the identity of the new quarter. The indicative project was developed on the basis of the two proposals by architects Christ & Gantenbein and EM2N from a study conducted in 2017.

A bicycle path and a bus station are planned along St. Jakobs-Strasse. For a better connection of the existing quarters on both sides of the track field, a passerelle for non-motorized traffic is planned. The access for logistics is to be reorganized, and it is also planned to realize a separate stop for the S-Bahn for the new quarter and the surrounding areas.

The Wolf site is already available for use. Together with partners, SBB and the canton want to test and implement smart city technologies on the site. Vacant and free spaces will be used from spring 2019 to develop new ideas for the mobility and logistics of the future in a "Smart City Lab". The first element to be created in one of the warehouses is a coworking space that will offer flexible spaces and formats for exchange and networking.

In the next step, the canton of Basel-Stadt and the SBB want to draw up a development plan, which is expected to be submitted to the Grand Council for a decision in 2020 following the public display of the plan. The first stages of new construction are reportedly planned from 2024. (ah)