Basel’s residents have been closely following the development of Baloise Park next to the main SBB train station, the gateway to the city, for months. The long wait is now coming to an end and the official opening ceremony for the new Baloise headquarters will be held this week. The four buildings that comprise Baloise Park create an overall ensemble, emphasized by the same style of paving throughout and the link to Aeschengraben. Baloise Park Nord, as the building at no. 21 Aeschengraben is now known, has also been updated over recent years. This investment is a strong commitment to Basel as the home of Baloise. The buildings and the modern architecture will define and change the area around the main train station for years to come.
The area between Aeschengraben, Parkweg and Nauenstrasse in Basel is now home to 1,300 new office workspaces and a hotel with 264 rooms. “Baloise Park is more than just a real estate investment for us. This is our new headquarters and a symbol of Baloise’s commitment to Basel", says Andreas Burckhardt, Chairman of the Board of Directors and adds: "Baloise Park gives us a whole new level of visibility in the city. Every company has a face, and this face is defined by its employees and senior management, but also by its buildings. With the ensemble of three new buildings by three different architects, the city is also winning as a business location and insurance centre.” Group CEO Gert De Winter says of the new work environment: “With its flexible offices and open spaces, Baloise Park is the embodiment of our corporate culture: direct communications and a flexible approach to work.” Now the Baloise Group headquarters are being opened. This will be followed later by the Baloise training centre in Baloise Park Ost and the Mövenpick Hotel in Baloise Park West.
The headquarters in Baloise Park Süd has been designed by Basel architects Diener & Diener. The windows of the new Baloise Group HQ are unusual in that they are around seven metres high, stretch across two floors and are curved towards the square. In addition to the Baloise offices, the building also provides the perfect home for the Baloise art collection. Some of it will be on show in the new Baloise Art Forum on the ground floor, which will be open to the public.
Featuring clear lines and a red-tinted concrete exterior, the ten-storey Baloise Park Ost building is the work of Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati. The Baloise training centre will occupy the first three floors of the building, which features an atrium. It also houses further offices and a gym.
The 89 metre high Baloise Park West building has been designed by Basel architects Miller & Maranta and houses the four-star Mövenpick Hotel. “The location right by the main SBB train station could not be better. It is easily accessible by public transport, the train and via the airport,” says a delighted Reto Kocher, general manager of the new Mövenpick Hotel in Basel, which is set to open in the first quarter of 2021. The top seven of a total of 24 floors will be used as office space.
Construction on the building at 21 Aeschengraben began in 1980, and it has been the headquarters of Baloise ever since. The eight-storey building was designed by architects Burckhardt+Partner. Together with the three new builds, the main Basler building will now form Baloise Park.