Basler Messeturm, High-rise building at Messeplatz, Basel, Switzerland
The Basler Messeturm is a high-rise building on Messeplatz in Basel, Switzerland, rising 105 meters with glass facades and geometric forms. Inside, it holds a hotel with around 200 rooms, office spaces, conference facilities, and a rooftop bar with views over the city.
Construction of the tower began in 2001 and was completed in 2003, as part of a broader renewal of the Messeplatz area in Basel. It was one of several projects that reshaped this part of the city during that period.
The tower's name comes from its role in the Messe Basel trade-fair site: the lobby on the ground floor serves as the hotel hall and sales area, shared by all users of the building. The Messe service centre occupies the 2nd floor, and the fair administration sits on floors 15 to 17. The neighbouring Halle 2, designed by Hans Hofmann, is recognisable by the large clock on its glass facade.
The tower stands at the eastern edge of Messeplatz, a major tram junction on the right bank of the Rhine, and the surrounding area is a pedestrian zone. The hotel entrance is on Rosentalstrasse, a dead-end street. A car park with 86 spaces lies beneath Messeplatz, and the Messe car park is to the south-east.
On 25 February 2006, base jumper Ueli Gegenschatz leapt from the roof and landed by parachute on Messeplatz after a short free fall, watched by around 3,000 spectators. From 2003 to 2013 the tower also hosted an annual stair run up its stairwell.
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