Psychiatric University Clinic (PUK)

The Psychiatric University Clinic of the city of Basel, which is integrated into an English garden, stems mostly from the years 1884-1886. As part of a total renovation plan, the buildings E and P (constructed in 1911/1920) were rebuilt and adapted to the needs of modern geriatric psychiatry.

Though the existing buildings are not protected by national heritage laws, they do reflect an above-average architectural performance and have come to be widely accepted over the years. The discovery and acceptance of the qualities slumbering in them was a precondition for re-interpreting the existing conditions in the light of today’s requirements.

The existing structure of the buildings was utilized to organize the stations on a given floor as two individual living groups with interposed general-purpose rooms. The wide variety of available rooms is additionally extended by the addition of bright, glazed verandas in the living areas.

The materials and colors used help the patients recognize the existing rooms and structures of the building. The materials, whose natural appearance is visible, impart color to the rooms – for example the maple parquet in the rooms or the green ceramic tiles in the bathrooms. This creates a comfortable atmosphere and an appropriate environment for the physical and mental well-being of the patients and their nurses.