The new design of the Roche skyscraper in Basel by H&deM

The project of the spiral skyscraper for the Roche company on the banks of the Rhine has undergone a significant transformation over the past four years. From a complicated helical shape, it has now become a one-sided pyramid that rises to a height of 175 meters. The newspapers talk about the intention to “build the tallest building in Basel and change the entire city skyline. The new tower for Roche by Herzog & de Meuron primarily aims to change the concept of interior spaces in high-rise buildings.”
The new design, in contrast to the previous organic shape, refers more to the modernist architecture of Rudolf Otto Salvisberg. Light concrete and dark window bands create distinct horizontal divisions. On the 41 floors, 1,900 employees will work. Access to the workplace will be decentralized. The office spaces are not arranged along one long corridor, but into “multi-level decentralized sections” that will also include an outdoor terrace. The architects aimed to prevent the feeling of a classic office tower - a glass cage.
Individual workplaces can be flexibly adapted to current needs. Inside the building, in addition to other functions, there will also be a lecture hall for 500 attendees.
Construction, costing 368 million Euros, is set to start in 2012 and is expected to be completed three years later.
Info>