Schauspielhaus Basel

Schauspielhaus Basel is the modern drama stage of Theater Basel, in the heart of the Swiss city. Located at Steinentorstrasse 7, it has operated since 2002 and serves as the theatre's home for spoken drama. The building pairs a central city location, right beside a tram line, with demanding acoustic engineering.

What is the Schauspielhaus within Theater Basel?

Theater Basel is a three-branch house covering opera, drama and ballet. It plays on three stages: the Grosse Bühne (Large Stage), the Kleine Bühne (Small Stage) and the Schauspielhaus. The last of these is the natural address for plays, contemporary texts and new stagings of classics.

History of the building

Basel had been discussing a new home for drama since 1988, because the older Komödie no longer met the needs of modern theatre. Planning and construction ran from 1999 to 2001, and the building was occupied in January 2002. It rose on the site of the former Ganthaus building.

The design is by Schwarz-Gutmann-Pfister Architekten, with Martin Pfister as project lead. Financing was shared between the canton of Basel-Stadt and the foundation Stiftung Schauspielhaus Ladies First. The foundation contributed 17.5 million francs and the canton 11.93 million, for a total of roughly 29.4 million francs.

Architecture: a house within a house

The structure is reinforced concrete built as a "Haus-in-Haus", a house set inside a house. The reason is acoustic: the theatre stands directly on a tram line, while the auditorium needs a very quiet environment. Decoupling the inner structure from the outer shell keeps street noise out of the hall.

At street level you find the foyer with cloakroom, box office and bar. A rehearsal stage sits above the auditorium. Seating ranges from 470 to 540, depending on the staging format; some sources quote a slightly lower figure of up to about 468.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Schauspielhaus Basel? At Steinentorstrasse 7 in central Basel, close to the main Theater Basel complex on Steinenberg.

How many seats does it have? According to the city, between 470 and 540, depending on the production format.

When did it open? Construction ran from 1999 to 2001, and the theatre began operating in 2002.

Who designed it? Schwarz-Gutmann-Pfister Architekten.

Is it part of Theater Basel? Yes. Alongside the Grosse Bühne and Kleine Bühne, it is one of the theatre's three stages.

Who should visit?

Theatre lovers, and anyone curious about contemporary architecture. Even without a ticket, the building is worth a look from outside, and the programme is listed on the Theater Basel website. Performances are usually in German, so it helps to check the production description and any surtitles before you go.