Basel Market Hall

Renovation of Basel Market Hall

After 75 years, the Market Hall was repurposed as a shopping centre and, at the same time, placed under heritage protection. For the conversion, the existing building fabric was extended and strengthened, and the load-bearing structure was rehabilitated. The most significant structural extension was the construction of four basement levels beneath one half of the existing domed hall. All existing load-bearing elements that were undercut by the new basement had to be temporarily propped and re-founded. Among other measures, one of the eight existing dome columns had to be carried through the new storeys and extended by 5 m. The column load of 400 tonnes had to be temporarily supported using a steel trestle founded on micropiles.