Projected by Christ + Gantenbein the regional bank of the Swiss canton of Baselland is setting up a new and representative commercial building on the station square in Liestal, a town on the outskirts of Basel. The prominent volume, a contorted ashlar narrowing on the base, receives its shape from the triangular lot of land it is set upon. Towards the station side, the façade is cut out to open up to a generous canopied area. It provides a roof for waiting passengers from the station and for the shoppers on the
ground floor level. A modular façade grid embraces the building’s top floors and traces the volume’s distortion at the bottom. Each façade panel relates to an office axis inside and forms a small oriel.
Photo: Walter Mair