Wohnen fürs Wohnen: Swiss Housing Cooperatives as a Laboratory for Coexistence
Opening: 28/11/2025, 7 PM
A cooperation between S AM and the Association of Housing Cooperatives Northwestern Switzerland.
Basel was one of the early centers of cooperative housing in Switzerland. Projects such as the Freidorf in Muttenz and the housing estates by Hans Bernoulli remain landmark examples from the interwar period. Later developments, like the Entenweid high-rise apartments and the Vogelbach estate in Riehen, also introduced important architectural and social innovations. Yet despite this legacy, cooperative housing plays only a minor role in the public perception of Basel. This exhibition at S AM sheds light on this often-overlooked history and expands the focus to the entire region of Northwestern Switzerland — marking the 100th anniversary of the Association of Housing Cooperatives Northwestern Switzerland. The exhibition also highlights how cooperative models continue to offer innovative responses to today’s housing challenges, such as in the new developments Erlenmatt Ost, Lysbüchel, and Westfeld.
