My unforgettable trip to Switzerland began at a designer hostel in Basel. Yes, you read that correctly: a designer hostel, not a hotel. I always choose hostels to stay in when traveling alone to save money, but I’ve never had high expectations for any of them. I was drawn to Basel Youth Hostel's minimalistic, clean, and wooden aesthetic while browsing on Booking.com for my first backpacker stay. Looking back, I feel incredibly lucky to have stayed in such a thoughtfully designed space at an affordable price.

難忘的瑞士之旅始於Basel的一家青年旅館-Basel Youth Hostel，本來我很希望能夠去住曾經的可可貿易貨運站裝修而成的Silo Design & Boutique Hostel，也是由Basel的一間精品飯店Nomad Design & Lifestyle Hotel背後的Krafft集團經營的。題外話，這個集團在Basel經營的飯店看起來都好有品味也很有質感，Basel這個城市雖然很不'瑞士'，但整體的文化、設計能量滿滿，鄰近有Vitra Campus 和 Fondation Beyeler(沒去到)，是個很值得到訪的小城!

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Designed in 2010 by the distinguished architecture firm Buchner & Bründler*, whose philosophy asserts that architecture shouldn't adhere to repetitive formalism. Instead, every project develops its own identity, responding to its unique context. Thus, the renovated Basel Youth Hostel features contemporary elements while preserving its historic architecture.

*Buchner & Brundler also designed the Nomad Design & Lifestyle Hotel, a boutique hotel in Basel city center.

礙於太晚預定，導致SILO的價位太高作罷，當在Booking.com上瀏覽其餘選項時，Basel Youth Hostel以其極簡、乾淨、木質卻又粗曠的美學風格吸引了我，回想起來，我覺得很幸運能以實惠的價格住在如此深思熟慮設計的空間裡。

這家青年旅館由著名建築事務所 Buchner & Bründler於2010年設計(他們是設計前面提到的Nomad飯店的設計師，你看看這錯綜複雜的關係!)，他們主張建築不應遵循一成不變的形式主義，而是每個項目應根據其獨特的背景發展出自己的個性。因此，經過翻新的Basel Youth Hostel融合了當代元素，同時也保留了其歷史建築的故事。

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Once a silk-dye factory, every aspect of the hostel’s design reflects its industrial history. The original structural vaults and pillars are exposed, adding character to the space. A sleek stainless steel staircase runs through the entire building, and a metal-framed window seat was added on the side façade, creating an interesting contrast. The use of maritime plywood throughout softens the rugged industrial feel, giving the space a brutal but cozy, simple yet elegant ambiance.

這座建築曾是一家絲綢染坊，Hostel的每一個設計細節都反映了這一段工業歷史。原有的結構拱頂和柱子被暴露出來，簡單的利用同色系礦物漆做修飾，為空間增添了獨特的氛圍；整座建築由一座鏽蝕斑駁鋼鐵梯貫穿，和牆面留有約2公分的脫開，像是漂浮著一樣；一樓側立面加了一個金屬框起的窗邊座位，形成了和古典外觀有趣的對比。整個空間的材質使用了松木夾板、水泥質感礦物漆及天花板米色木絲板，使得粗獷的工業感柔和了許多，營造出一種既粗糙質樸卻又簡約優雅的氛圍。

若你有來住這間青年旅館，也對他的建築有興趣，可以跟櫃台要設計裝修簡介!

Front gate

Lobby

Lobby long table

Dinning area

Metal-framed window seat

Kids zone

Metal staircase

Entrance facade & the St. Alban-Teich stream

Newly-built bridge leads you to the entrance & the decking area.

Side facade & the extruded window seat

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I stayed in a four-bed dormitory and was fortunate to have only one roommate, which allowed me to fully appreciate the room's design (I was so captivated by the space that I even made a layout drawing!). Each room is cleverly designed to separate the public hallway from the more intimate guest area with a customized pre-zone made of maritime pine plywood. This space houses the washing facilities and lockers and is separated from the main room by a sliding door. I found this arrangement thoughtful, as it allows roommates to brush their teeth or pack for an early flight without disturbing others.

我住在一個四人上下舖房裡，幸運的是只有一個室友，這讓我能夠盡情地欣賞這間房間的設計，甚至還回家畫了平面圖?(請看下圖)。房間的配置非常巧妙及用心，一般的青年旅館是一進門就是上下舖床，不過Buchner & Bründler規劃了一個由松木夾板拉門阻隔開來的前區及睡覺休息區，前區容納了洗手台和儲物櫃，我覺得這樣的設計非常貼心，讓室友們可以在不打擾他人的情況下刷牙或為早班飛機打包行李，因為這基本上就是住青年旅館的惡夢哈哈。

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The materials used in the room echo those in the public areas: maritime pine plywood, painted brick walls, and a slim, stainless steel integrated sink. Once again, the design was simple and cozy. There were many other small, charming details throughout the space. You can see them in the images below:

房間內使用的材料與公共區域相呼應：松木夾板、刷白磚牆和薄不銹鋼一體成形洗手台，再次展現簡約和舒適的特點。整個空間還有許多其他迷人的小細節，例如阻隔前區與睡覺區的拉門是隱藏式的，當你關起門來時，設計師很巧妙的退縮牆面板材2公分，自然形成一個把手可以再次拉開門(詳見下面詳圖)；淋浴間和男女廁的配置規劃也很有趣!

希望有機會能夠再訪Basel!