A boost for Basel and its residents
The site in the Klybeck district, the cradle of Basel’s chemical industry, is to get a new lease of life, with a new urban neighbourhood being developed across an area of 300,000 m² – linking the neighbourhoods of Klybeck, Kleinhüningen, Horburg and Matthäus while providing a route between the Rhine and the Wiese.
This area, most of which is currently closed to the public, will merge with the surrounding neighbourhoods to create new points of interaction. A green, diverse, climate-friendly neighbourhood will gradually take shape, providing a place to live and work for up to 16,000 people while also offering plenty of space for leisure activities – with public green spaces and open areas, cultural and educational facilities, and the necessary transport links and local public transport services.
The public has been involved in the planning process from the outset. With a time frame extending to around 2050, the project will provide a significant boost to development in Basel and the surrounding region. The planning partners – the canton of Basel-Stadt, Swiss Life, and Rhystadt – are seizing this unique opportunity to turn a comprehensive urban development idea into reality, building on the existing urban fabric while preserving the site’s identity.
History
The name Klybeck derives from Klybeck Castle – a medieval moated castle that served as the official residence of the bailiffs of Kleinhüningen in the 18th century and was demolished in the mid-20th century.
The chemical industry began to establish itself here in 1864, when the Swiss dyer and textile industrialist Alexander Clavel opened the first production facility in what is now Klybeck. At that time, the open field north of the present-day Dreirosenbrücke bridge was still on the outskirts of the city; it was gradually built over, with river water used for industrial dye production. As the chemical works grew – having been renamed the Gesellschaft für Chemische Industrie in Basel (Society of Chemical Industry in Basel), or Ciba, in 1884 – residential construction in the area also began to intensify. Klybeck turned into a typical working-class neighbourhood.
The chemical industry influenced not only the social demographic but also the urban nature of the southern part of the district. Klybeck’s built-up environment is characterised by the coexistence of industrial and residential buildings, which, while highly separate, stand in close proximity to one another. Its development was based on a road network established towards the end of the 19th century, which was largely implemented according to the needs of an expanding industrial presence.
The chemical site has grown steadily in the 150 years or so since it was founded, undergoing significant changes time and again. Buildings have been gradually converted, extended or rebuilt, depending on requirements. Today, the areas on either side of Klybeckstrasse are characterised by buildings of varying sizes from different eras. Along Mauerstrasse, however, the consistent use of red exposed brick has created a uniform appearance. This area is also home to the oldest surviving factory buildings on the extensive site.
In 1996, Ciba-Geigy (formerly Ciba) and Sandoz merged to form Novartis. The chemicals division was spun off and acquired by the German chemicals company BASF in 2008. BASF also inherited parts of the site in Klybeck as a result.
In 2019, Novartis sold its stake in the site to Rhystadt, while BASF sold its share to Swiss Life – with 150 years of industrial activity in the area subsequently coming to an end. The klybeckplus project now sees Swiss Life and Rhystadt working with the canton of Basel-Stadt to develop a new, vibrant neighbourhood.
Current use
Work, teaching and research are already taking place in parts of the site, with some 2,500 people currently using the buildings – from large corporations and start-ups, to studios and research facilities. There are also event rooms as well as catering and leisure facilities.
The landowners offer interested businesses and individuals a range of options for use:
Swiss Life is opening up part of the Klybeck site and making it accessible to businesses and commercial users. Referred to as ‘Campus Klybeck’, this area is home to companies, projects and initiatives from the creative industries, research, catering and sport – including BASF’s Swiss headquarters, the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), the Fair Fashion Factory and numerous temporary commercial and cultural occupancies. By refurbishing additional buildings, Campus Klybeck is creating more space for its users, who are helping to shape the future development of the campus and are learning from and interacting with one another.
A wide range of work, production and research activities are already taking place across the various sections of the Rhystadt site. Alongside major companies such as Novartis and Wesemann, local start-ups and creative professionals are also active here. In addition, around 1,000 students from the KV Basel business school are currently on the site.
With this blend of education, research, manufacturing and creative work, the former industrial site is already proving to be a vibrant place where people from all walks of life come together and help shape its future.