Bachgraben Public Pool Restaurant by MET Architects

The Bachgraben Public Pool Restaurant, located within Basel’s Gartenbad Bachgraben swimming facility, is a sensitive and skillful renovation by MET Architects that honors the site’s post-war modernist heritage while updating it for modern functionality and sustainability. Originally designed in 1962 by Otto and Walter Senn with engineer Heinz Hossdorf, the concrete buildings are listed in the Basel-Stadt monument preservation inventory as key examples of Swiss modernism. After decades of use, the service building near the pool’s main entrance had reached the end of its functional life. Staff facilities no longer met operational needs, and the on-site restaurant had been closed since 2011, leaving a central part of the pool’s public experience dormant.

Balancing Heritage and New Needs

The renovation brief was ambitious: the building had to accommodate three distinct functions—a self-service restaurant, staff operational rooms, and a youth centre. The latter required independence from the pool’s main access. Following a detailed structural analysis, MET Architects proposed a decisive move: relocating the youth centre to the former caretaker’s house. This freed the main building to be reconfigured in a way that fully respected its heritage status, ensuring that any architectural interventions would remain subordinate to the original modernist structure.

Functional Transformation with Minimal Structural Impact

The 1960s design ethos of the original building emphasized a minimalist and functional load-bearing system, making it adaptable to new uses without compromising its character. The upper floor, which once contained a large production kitchen, was reimagined as a self-service dining area connected to a covered terrace with panoramic views of the pool. A new commercial kitchen and ancillary rooms were integrated along the street-facing façade, enabling efficient operations while maintaining the building’s visual integrity.

Where structural changes were necessary—such as the introduction of new concrete beams—these were executed in harmony with the original design intent, making them virtually indistinguishable from the historic elements. Accessibility was also a priority, with the addition of a lift and an extra staircase to ensure barrier-free movement and efficient service delivery.

Redefining the Ground Floor

The reorganization extended to the ground floor, which now houses public toilets, changing and break rooms, a first-aid station, a multipurpose space, and a garage for garden maintenance equipment. New façade openings were introduced on the garden side to create visual and physical connections, while a folding garage door was seamlessly integrated into the exterior. These insertions were carefully detailed to preserve the building’s proportions and material character.

Sustainable Restoration of Historic Concrete

The building’s exposed concrete façade had deteriorated over time, showing signs of corrosion and patchy surface treatments. Rather than opting for demolition, the design team worked with heritage authorities to develop a sustainable repair strategy. Damaged surface layers were stripped, reinforcement was restored, and the concrete was waterproofed. The historical color and textured graphics were painstakingly retouched, allowing the façade to regain its original appearance while ensuring long-term durability.

Energy upgrades were approached with equal care. The building retained its original insulation approach, replacing the interior insulation in kind to preserve wall thickness and appearance. Original wooden windows were retrofitted with double glazing, and solar shading was added to control heat gain in summer. A heat pump with geothermal probes and a flat photovoltaic array on the green roof now supply most of the building’s electricity needs, particularly for kitchen operations and cold storage. These interventions brought the listed concrete structure up to contemporary energy standards without compromising its heritage value.

Interior Atmosphere and Public Experience

Inside, the previously closed-off spaces were transformed into a welcoming, public-facing environment capable of accommodating up to 7,000 guests on peak weekends. Every surface was renewed, with design references drawn from the site’s mid-century roots. A 1960s floor pattern inspired the new tiled layout, rendered in cheerful aquatic tones that reflect the poolside setting.

The public areas are unified by bold royal blue walls, furniture, and panels, creating a vibrant visual identity that resonates with the outdoor leisure environment. In contrast, staff areas are designed in muted, functional tones, in keeping with the building’s original utilitarian aesthetic. This clear differentiation of spaces not only supports operational efficiency but also reinforces the architectural narrative of public vibrancy and back-of-house discipline.

A Modernist Building Renewed for the Future

The Bachgraben Public Pool Restaurant is a case study in how listed modernist buildings can be adaptively reused without losing their historical integrity. MET Architects’ approach demonstrates that sensitive restoration, combined with targeted functional upgrades, can extend the life of a heritage structure while making it relevant to contemporary public needs.

By weaving together historic preservation, modern accessibility, sustainable building technology, and vibrant public design, the project ensures that this 1960s landmark will remain an integral part of Basel’s summer leisure culture for decades to come. The result is a building that not only serves its practical purposes but also celebrates the enduring values of modernist architecture—clarity, functionality, and an openness to the public realm.

Photography: MET Architects