Between solitary high-rises, the Akademie der Künste, and the slab buildings along Bartningallee, Otto Senn designed this building as a pentagonal central structure placed on a recessed pedestal. Since the top floor is also recessed, the impression is that of a structure rotated on its axis. In the apartments arranged radially, with four on each floor, the rooms are placed around the central pedestal. Bathrooms and toilets are located on the inside, while the living rooms with kitchens and loggias are on the outside. By placing the stairwell on the building’s northern side, Senn secured either southern or western light for all apartments. The top floor apartments have a more open floor plan; there is no separation of the living room from the landing or of the kitchen from the living room. Senn had already conceived a solitary high-rise on a pentagonal floor plan for Basel in 1942, but he was only able to realize his plans in 1962 after his successful contribution to Interbau.
Building
- Four-storey residential building on a pentagonal floor plan (ca. 21 m across)
- 16 apartments (one to four rooms)
- The base level houses the entrance foyer, technical installations, and communal rooms
Construction
- Outer walls, balustrades, ceilings in reinforced concrete, interior walls of brick
- Terrace walls, roof and base floor in exposed concrete
