Restaurant Lora / Foeldvary Staehelin

The Westwing of the train station in Basel hasn’t been really used in the past decade. SBB's idea is to change the use of these spaces and activate the hall with other public utilities which require innovative concepts to present themselves in the urban fabric. Our small team of architects and gastronomical experts had the opportunity to win the competition in 2019. The challenge of the project was to develop a unique spatial design that suits the food concept of the new restaurant and fits in the two historically preserved halls of the train station. The work resulted in carefully fitted custom-made interior design, that include the lighting objects, furniture and a new spatial connection between the two halls to make a fluent circulation for gastronomical uses. These objects were developed out of the existing historical architectural elements of the two halls and got reinterpreted in a modern way. This transformation in combination with the concept of transparency lead to harmonious interior space, where old and new combined create something “else”. The concept of Sustainability come to life with the use of local natural building materials that make the important connection with the food concept of the restaurant. Together they communicate the holistic idea of Lora.