Exterior of the Building
The Blue & White Houses
Exterior of the Building
General Information
The Blue House and the White House, also known as Reichensteiner and Wendelstörfer Hof, are two patrician houses listed as cultural heritage sites of national importance.
They are among the most significant examples of Baroque architecture in Basel.
These two houses are designed in a complementary manner, but distinguish themselves through different ornamental details
The Blue House
The facade with nine bays and three floors facing the Rheinsprung is built of ashlar stone. From the outset, it was painted in a bluish-gray tone.
The facade is structured by a central projection (risalit) and by the slightly protruding outer bays.
An additional tenth bay, on the right, stands out from the main facade due to its material (plastered rubble masonry) and its different architectural arrangement.
The floor heights, marked by strong cornices, subtly decrease from the ground floor to the second floor.
The central risalit, topped with a flattened triangular pediment, features a richer and more structured decoration. This type of projection is typical of château architecture under Louis XIV.
Ionic pilasters decorate the upper floors.
The alignment of the arched windows is interrupted at the level of the risalit by round-arched windows with low balustrades and ornamental grills, highlighting the main room of the bel étage.
A notable feature: at the top of the arches of the ground floor windows in the risalit, there are lead masks representing the four seasons. These expressive and artistically remarkable grimaces are of unknown origin.
The simple window grills on the ground floor were only installed in 1803.
The building volumes of the main house and rear wings are topped with high hipped roofs, pierced by dormers spread over three levels, and end with a remarkable alignment of rectangular chimneys along the ridge.
At the back, the wings form a paved courtyard, closed off on the Martinsgasse side by a low wall topped with a grill.
Unlike the main facade in ashlar, the side and rear facades are made of rubble masonry with a more sober and conventional treatment in the details.
Although a small dyeing workshop and the silk ribbon publishing house were housed in the central wing, the courtyard of honor at Reichensteinerhof was probably primarily intended for representative purposes, such as receiving horse-drawn carriages.
The stables and coach houses were located in the stable yard to the north.
The White House
The street-facing facade of the Wendelstörferhof, with nine bays and three floors, features structural elements painted in gray and rubble masonry plastered in white. It is framed by pilasters with bossed tiles and divided into three sections of approximately the same width.
As the floor levels align with those of the neighboring Reichensteinerhof, the ground floor of the Wendelstörferhof, due to the rising slope of the street, is relatively low, giving the facade a somewhat squat appearance.
The facade is structured by powerful cornices. A sense of unity is created by the regular alignment of slightly arched bays, with voussoirs and simple base panels on the upper floors.
The central risalit with three bays, slightly projecting, is emphasized by additional pilasters and more richly molded window surrounds.
The central bay of the ground floor and first floor slightly bulges outward, further accentuated by the powerful arched cornice separating the first floor from the second.
Between the pilasters and the bulging wall, a molded bossed groove ensures the transition; it also frames the arched bay at the center of the facade, forming a shell-like frame.
This decoration is inspired by the Hôtel de Marmoutier, built in 1757 on Rue Brûlée in Strasbourg.
The sculpted decoration on the facade – masks, vegetal motifs, a winged cherub head on the arch keys, as well as a flat floral cartouche above the central window on the first floor – is limited to the central risalit.
The balustrade adorned with vases that crowns the risalit horizontally was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century, as the original one had been removed for a time.
The courtyard, located below the level of Martinsgasse, was used for transporting goods from the silk ribbon factory.
The outbuildings of the Wendelstörferhof were located in the southern wing, adjoining the former stable building at No. 5 Martinsgasse.
A ramp connected the interior courtyard to Martinsgasse.
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Credit:
Mme Sarah Hummel-Smit Architect specialized in historical monuments and heritage conservation.