Day 05 - Vitra Campus
Weil am Rhein, Germany
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To my surprise Basel is located in a really unique corner of the Switzerland border. Maybe I should have looked closer at a map before I arrived but it led to the nice surprise that France or Germany is only a short walk away from the city. That worked out perfectly for my Friday plans of a quick bus trip to Vitra Campus; the production site for renowned Vitra furniture company in Germany.
It was a day of starchitect immersion. The campus boasts a handful of buildings, some public and some industrial, by Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando, SANAA, Herzog de Meuron, and even Buckminster Fuller.
As I eaves-dropped on a guided tour of Zaha Hadid’s first built work, I discovered that the private fire station was staffed not by local emergency workers but instead the factory labourers. Cool fact? I thought so!
So hey, check it out. Eaves drop on a tour yourself. Or join one for the full experience. It’s a great place to spend the day, and if you’re feeling up for it, watch your very own Eames Lounge Chair made to order.
