ST. JAKOBSHALLE - Basel, Switzerland

Description

The St. Jakobshalle sports and event complex in Basel vis-à-vis the Basel stadium was designed in the late 1960s under the banner of brutalism and inaugurated in 1976. Its characteristic feature is its central, large hall with a curved concrete roof construction. The house was renovated in 2018 by the architects Degelo and Berrel Berrel Kräutler and rebuilt to today's standards. The now 44,000 square meter complex is designed for up to 12,000 visitors.

A cantilevered concrete canopy combines the complex of hall and annex buildings into a whole. It forms a protected exterior space and, like an inviting gesture, points to the public function of the building. Also new is the square in front of the complex. From the previously single-storey and dark entrance area, the design authors created a spacious room that can be played on in a variety of ways and is double-storey towards the square. The surrounding glass front of the foyer, arranged in a corner, removes the boundary between inside and outside and integrates the complex into the urban planning situation.

Glass panes coated with SGG COOL-LITE® XTREME 50/22 II sun protection were installed on the glass front. Some are up to 9 and 6.5 meters high and between 2 and 2.8 meters wide. The proportion of frames in the façade is very small compared to the proportion of glass. In addition, the large glass formats achieved a high degree of spatial transparency. The type of glass used is characterized by excellent light transmission and g values. The low external reflection of the panes made external sun protection obsolete.