The prestigious Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois in Basel, Switzerland, has completed a remarkable two-year renovation of its extension building, transforming hotel corridors into enchanting wonder chambers through the visionary design of renowned Basel architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron. The local Basel newspaper recently celebrated the reopening in a special edition, proudly highlighting that the Rhine-side hotel is Europe's oldest grand hotel, though its origins were far from glamorous.
The hotel's history traces back to a simple inn called "Zu den Drei Königen" (The Three Kings), with the first documented record from 1681 describing it as a gentleman's lodge. After a tumultuous history, the main building was reconstructed in 1844 by city architect Amadeus Merian in the French classical style. While Merian would have preferred more grandeur, Basel's commitment to modesty limited his ambitions, though the result was impressive enough to establish the hotel as the city's premier destination for distinguished guests.
About twenty years ago, the hotel entered a new era when medical entrepreneur Thomas Straumann purchased the property. Straumann also acquired the adjacent southern building to expand the hotel operations. This head building, originally constructed in 1903 in Belle Époque style for the Basel Cantonal Bank, was previously converted according to heritage preservation guidelines by architect Christian Lang, housing ballrooms, banquet halls, and conference rooms.
The former bank building has now undergone another complete transformation based on designs by Herzog & de Meuron, further proof that these architectural prophets hold significant influence in their hometown, where their designs are prominently featured throughout the cityscape. The firm successfully met the challenge of creating a design worthy of the main building while establishing a completely different atmosphere from the conservative, dignified main house.
Jacques Herzog, founding partner of Herzog & de Meuron, identifies architectural care as the connecting element between both building sections. He applies this principle to his radically contemporary, independent spatial design that works with an abundance of strong colors and contrasting materials. "We have created a feeling of elegance with velvet and metal," Herzog explained.
The head building now truly stands on its own merit internally. The entrance through the side portico creates an unforgettable experience that makes visitors forget the main entrance entirely. The foyer welcomes guests with Art Deco tiles and pompous chandeliers before leading to a spiral staircase with artfully crafted wrought-iron railings.
The Basel architects are at their strongest when focusing on the element of surprise. This begins with the corridors, which in hotels are typically quite uninspired, but here resemble the enchanted passages of a wonder chamber. Jacques Herzog, who enjoys referencing his artistic origins, has made each of the new suites in the Trois Rois extension a noble unique piece.
Custom hanging lamps, specially manufactured by a glass workshop in neighboring Münchenstein, previously impressed library users at the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, which the Swiss architects built in the island capital Santa Cruz in 2008. While Tenerife featured an atmospherically orchestrated environment of teardrop-shaped glass bodies, Herzog & de Meuron chose a mollusk-like lamp form for Basel, with slight variations in each hotel room.
The room design reveals a preference for curves and all things soft, baroque patterns and velvet textiles, opulent forms and colors, pleats and fringes. The bathrooms feature Carrara marble. The only disruption comes from the obligatory flat-screen TV, which the architects attempt to place as discreetly as possible on a rounded room divider. The exactly 46 switches also contrast somewhat with the spatial feeling that Herzog & de Meuron aim to achieve with sensuous materials, but the trend toward intelligent hotel rooms demands its due.
The design concept extends to the smoking room called "The Council." In this cave-like space extending over two floors, visitors notice not only the deep red velvet upholstery but also the 570 handcrafted fire-red ceramic tiles. Everything here radiates relaxed nobility.
This same principle applies to the new restaurant "Banks" – the name alludes both to the building's former function and its location on the riverbank – located in the former ballroom at the head of the extension building. Mirrors are mounted on the ceiling, complemented by reflective metal surfaces on the walls, making the space appear larger than it actually is. Additionally, the floor level was raised by three steps to make the view of the flowing Rhine more experiential. The aubergine-colored seating niches and bar stools in brilliant pink create very bold accents.
This bold approach also applies to the art installation "Flying Reef," which hovers above the lowered bar counter. It consists of coat hangers from the hotel's collection, memorabilia from hotel employees, and much colorful bric-a-brac. This work comes from the Swiss artist duo Gerda Steiner and Jörg Lenzlinger, who previously created the "Vegetative Nervous System" installation in the atrium of Düsseldorf's Kunstpalast.
The renovation and redesign of the former cantonal bank building once again demonstrates how Herzog & de Meuron's architecture runs counter to classical architectural modernism in the Bauhaus tradition. They sympathize more with outsiders like Erich Mendelsohn and Mexican architect Luis Barragán, who reconciled purist modernism with the sensory richness of Islamic culture. This latest project solidifies the firm's reputation for creating spaces that prioritize sensory experience and material richness over minimalist restraint.
