Summer casino, Youth culture centre in St. Alban, Basel, Switzerland

Summer Casino is a youth and cultural center in St. Alban, Basel, housed in a historic building from the 1800s with clean lines and solid architecture. The structure features large windows, high ceilings in the main halls, and exterior walls decorated with colorful graffiti that covers much of the facade.

The building was constructed between 1822 and 1824 by architect Johann Georg von der Mühll as a gathering place for wealthy citizens during summer months. It was sold in 1937 due to financial difficulties, and in 1959 the Stiftung Jugendhaus took over, transforming it into a youth cultural center.

The name Sommercasino recalls the society of wealthy Baslers who spent summers on country estates and gathered here from 1822. Since 1986 the house has been the largest youth culture centre in the Basel region. Concerts and parties fill the halls, rooms are rented to young cultural creators, and the graffiti on the facade are repainted at regular intervals. Since January 2025 the association Château Solaire runs an interim programme of dance, theatre, music, art, literature, media and performance.

The building stands in St. Alban, near the St. Alban-Tor area of Basel. Since the operator change, events have been run by the association Château Solaire as an interim use, announced on the Sommercasino Basel website; this arrangement is expected to end in autumn 2028. Renovation plans and future uses are to be communicated by Immobilien Basel-Stadt in 2027, so check before travelling.

The graffiti covering the whole facade is repainted at regular intervals, so returning visitors see a different building each time. Since January 2025 the interim use has been run by the association Château Solaire, which programmes dance, theatre, music, art, literature, media and performance; the arrangement is expected to end in autumn 2028.