Case Study – Haus Dr. Emil Barell
- Basel
- Old hierarchies, new forms: in 1932, Otto Rudolf Salvisberg designed a modern villa in Basel's Gellert district for Roche director Emil Barell. Two separate entrances immediately divide owners from staff.
- Unlike traditional villas where servants inhabited attics or basements, Salvisberg creates a separate wing - increasing spatial distance even further. Window size signals social hierarchy: small openings mark service areas, large ones frame reception rooms and private quarters.
- Modern architecture intensifies traditional class separation.
Contributor: Selina Weibel
