Bachgraben Public Pool Restaurant: Modernist Restoration and Adaptive Reuse by MET Architects

The Bachgraben Public Pool Restaurant in Allschwil, Switzerland, has been thoughtfully revitalized by MET Architects, transforming a dormant mid-century structure into a vibrant community hub. Originally designed in 1962 by Otto and Walter Senn with engineer Heinz Hossdorf, the building is an important example of post-war modernism and is listed in the Basel-Stadt monument preservation inventory. After decades of partial updates—and the restaurant’s closure in 2011—the service building required a comprehensive and sensitive refurbishment to restore functionality while preserving its architectural heritage.

MET Architects were commissioned to redesign the building for three uses: a self-service restaurant, staff facilities, and a youth centre. Their strategic decision to relocate the youth centre to the former caretaker’s house allowed for a more respectful restoration of the main structure. This approach ensured that all new interventions—structural elements, spatial reorganizations, and technical upgrades—remained fully subordinate to the protected modernist framework.

The upper floor, once home to an oversized production kitchen, was reconfigured into an open, accessible self-service restaurant connected to a covered terrace with views over the pool. A new kitchen and service rooms were introduced along the street-facing façade, while newly inserted concrete beams seamlessly align with the original structural rhythm. At ground level, the architects introduced public restrooms, changing rooms, staff break areas, a first-aid room, a multipurpose space, and a garage, all connected through newly created openings designed with great sensitivity to the existing envelope.

A significant element of the renovation involved the sustainable restoration of the exposed concrete façade, which had suffered from corrosion and multiple surface treatments. Instead of opting for demolition, MET Architects collaborated with heritage authorities to strip damaged layers, repair reinforcement, waterproof the surface, and carefully reinstate the characteristic color and texture of the original concrete.

The project also integrates targeted energy-efficient upgrades while respecting the building’s fabric. The team replaced the original interior insulation, installed new double-glazed wooden windows, and added solar shading. A heat pump with geothermal probes and a discreet photovoltaic array on the green roof now provides most of the building’s energy needs.

Internally, the once-closed-off spaces were reimagined to accommodate up to 7,000 weekend visitors, with durable new surfaces inspired by the facility’s 1960s origins. A retro tile pattern in fresh pool colours adds a vibrant identity, while public zones are unified with bold royal blue finishes. Staff areas maintain a muted, functional aesthetic true to the building’s modernist roots.

All photographs are works of Barbara Bühler