Renovation of listed Basel SBB railway station

The west wing of Basel SBB station has been under reconstruction since 2016. This work is expected to be completed in spring 2021. Basel SBB station is located in a listed building. Therefore, the cantonal monument preservation office was heavily involved in the planning of the renovation.

In the west wing, the mezzanine will be removed so that the original arch structure will be visible. The converted west wing will thus become an attractive meeting place - with lots of light and plenty of space. The existing wooden surface of the ceiling cladding will be cleaned by Häring from below on the hall side and repaired where necessary, primed and coated with transparent or opaque paint (colour in agreement with the cantonal monument preservation authority, analogous to the existing building). The surface is cleaned from above on the roof side. Missing or damaged timbers are replaced. Ceiling panels that are not dismantled and reassembled are to be maintained and repaired on site. In the intake area, individual ceiling panels of the wooden ceiling are provided with cut-outs for ventilation ducts and building services installations.

In the four areas of the Grosser Wartesaal, Kleiner Wartesaal, Saal Brasserie and Saal Migros, Häring has been commissioned to renew the historic wall panelling. The task description includes the following steps:

• Taking measurements and photo documentation of the parts to be dismantled for re-             installation (description and plans including numbering/location of the dismantling positions).
• Disassembly of the panelling parts according to drawings with all connection profiles.
• Numbering on each dismantled individual part and integration of the dismantling position in the plans.

The wooden panelling including the substructure of each area was temporarily stored in the interior in consultation with the monument conservation department. Reassembly was scheduled to start at the beginning of June 2020, and work is currently running at full speed until around November. All work is taking place in a historic and listed environment. The substance worth preserving must not be impaired.