Visitors arriving by rail can glimpse the first highlights in and around the main station: The façade of the Meret Oppenheim tower block by Herzog & de Meuron catches everyone's eye with its moving elements that create a constantly changing appearance. The fountain situated on the square out in front features a sculpture by the artist Meret Oppenheim. The copper signal tower, the locomotive depot, and the glass palace known as the Alsace Gate, all by Basel’s own star architects Herzog & de Meuron. Reflected in the glass façade of the Alsace Gate is the gleaming white Euregio office building by the American architect Richard Meier. Not far from here is the Peter Merian House by Zwimpfer Partners with its spectacular, emerald-green façade executed by the artist Donald Judd. A few steps along is the Jakob Burckhardt House by Zwimpfer Partners and Jakob Steib. Finally, a brief five-minute walk from the main train station brings you to the bank building by Mario Botta in the shape of a round stone sculpture.

Among Basel’s architectural highlights are the 105-metre-high Messe tower by architects Morger Degelo Marques and the St. Jakob-Park football stadium by Herzog & de Meuron. 

The new Novartis Campus next to the French border has been constructed and the illustrious list of architects giving shape to this centre of innovation includes Tadao Ando, David Chipperfield, Diener & Diener, Frank O. Gehry, Adolf Krischanitz, Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani, Peter Märkli, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa (SAANA office), Alvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura. 

In 2013, the Exhibition Centre in Basel received its new ‘City Lounge ‘exhibition hall designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Roche's 205-meter office tower in Kleinbasel is the tallest office building in Switzerland. The Roche towers were designed by Herzog & de Meuron, as was the internationally renowned extension to the Stadtcasino.

Basel is a favourite destination for architects, art historians and architecture lovers, who all appreciate the diversity of modern architecture the city has to offer. It comes as no surprise, then, that Basel is home to the Swiss Architecture Museum, where changing exhibits of international and Swiss architecture are on display.