Townhouse Furkastrasse 35 in Basel | XM Architekten GmbH

The project explores the possibilities of rediscovering the qualities of a traditional townhouse within the contemporary architectural vocabulary and despite the very limited site area: spatial generosity, diverse relationship to outdoor spaces, modest yet decorative formulation and materialization. The building’s volume is largely determined by zoning and building codes within an organically grown low-rise, high density street front. In response, the design negotiates in form, expression of materials and details between alignment with the design logic of the neighborhood and coherence within its own emergence logic.

The main rooms of the house – the entrance, dining room, living room, and library – are all arranged on different floors – each attached to the main stair following the principle of half level shifts. The resulting eloquent and three-dimensional spatial figure is defined in each area by differentiated relationships between its parts, as well as of the parts to the outdoor urban spaces. The dining room and its terrace are intimately embedded into the garden. In contrast, the living room above is slightly hovering over the garden, incorporating the emerging vistas into the perception of its space. The library opens up towards the street with a generously dimensioned window, contributing to the public urban character of the front façade. The stair continues to swing with short, half-story runs to the upper floors, maintaining access to daylight and visual connections to the exterior, and ends on the top floor with generous terraces, offering the experience of the neighborhood's stunning roofscape.