Multipurpose Hall in Saint-Louis by Manuelle Gautrand

The Parisian architect Manuelle Gautrand has designed a new cultural center covered with copper mesh on the outskirts of Basel. Le FORUM is located at the border of three countries and serves as a venue for sports, exhibitions, and cultural events in the city. To mitigate the impact of the large structure, the mass is divided into thirteen smaller buildings with gabled roofs, creating a contiguous area of 4,650 m². Although the entire complex is single-story, the height of some of the thirteen buildings reaches up to 13 m. The translucent skin made of a single material unifies the building, while also revealing the diversity of the interior volumes. The largest hall covers an area of 1,870 m². It is used for sports activities and features a movable grandstand. The smaller hall has 870 m² and is surrounded by office units. Additional volumes consist of storage, technical facilities, and kitchens to serve social events.