Universitätsspital Klinikum 2, Basel
Giuliani Hönger
Hospitals are characterised by the fact that a large part of their volume is hidden underground. This also applies to Clinic 2 of the University Hospital of Basel, which will be replaced by a new building in the coming years. Studio Willen will visit the construction site regularly until 2031 and, over this period, document for Giuliani Hönger what will no longer be visible in the future: the excavation pit as a gaping hole in the historic urban fabric, or storey-high concrete retaining walls dating from various periods.
Foundations, retaining walls and temporary structures follow pragmatic rules. Yet they possess a distinct, sometimes sculptural, aesthetic and convey a great sense of power. To make the scale of these structures tangible, the people who create them are included in the images.
