Dezeen Magazine

Basel rejects Zaha Hadid casino

The citizens of Basel, Switzerland, have voted by a clear majority against architect Zaha Hadid's proposed Neues Stadt-Casino, meaning the auditorium will now not be built.

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Hadid won an invited competition four years ago to design the building, which would have been the city's new concert hall. But Swiss tradition states that the public get the final say on any large project that involves public spending. Basler Zeitung reports that 62.6% of voters rejected the proposal.

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Basel also voted against retaining the city's remaining trolleybuses in a separate plebiscite. They will now be replaced by gas-powered buses.