The Jazz Campus in Kleinbasel's Old Town is a place of learning. The term "campus" refers in a direct sense to the field and, in a figurative sense, to the composition of individual institutes and the open space into a place of knowledge and education. In the transfer of this image to the building site in Kleinbasel's old town, the footprint of the former ensemble allows the buildings to emerge, while the courtyard becomes a field. This opposing orientation meets the program's requirements for introverted work and public life. As a result, the courtyard becomes the interface between the city and the school, but also between the audience and the music scene. In terms of volume, the conglomerate follows the existing building in Kleinbasel's old town and forms a small-scale roofscape. The picturesque appearance of brick masonry with the industrial aesthetics of the aluminium windows further writes the atmospheric density found on site. The structure of the building carries on the idea of the campus by providing tree-like access to the rooms and connecting them via the courtyard or the hall below. This structure makes a tangible contribution to the interaction between the public and the music school, with the court being assigned a central role. The program includes rooms of different sizes, ranging from smaller rooms dedicated to individual practice to large performance and recording halls. This wide range of spatial offers is accompanied by a sophisticated acoustic concept that allows a variety of acoustic room moods.
Source: Buol & Zünd
Photos: Georg Aerni
