BIS-Tower

BIS-Tower
BIS Tower from the northwest with the base building housing the auditorium in the foreground
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Administrative building
Architectural style	Modernism
Location	Central Railway Station 2, Basel
Town or city	Basel
Country	Switzerland
Coordinates	47°32′53.05″N 7°35′30.37″E / 47.5480694°N 7.5917694°E / 47.5480694; 7.5917694
Construction started	1972
Construction stopped	1977
Opened	May 9, 1977
Owner	BIS
Height	69,5
Technical details
Material	Steel, Reinforced concrete
Floor count	20
Grounds	30'000 m²
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Martin Burckhardt (Architekt)
Architecture firm	Burckhardt and Partner Ltd.
Other information
Number of rooms	around 600

The BIS-Tower, more commonly known as the BIS-high rise, is a 69.5-meter-high administrative tower and headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel, Switzerland. Designed by architect Martin Burckhardt and built between 1972 and 1977, the tower is a landmark of the Central Railway Station and the city of Basel. From the year of its construction until 2003, it was the third tallest building in the city. The BIS Tower dominates the Basel skyline with its striking silhouette, and its color scheme and aesthetics set the style for several commercial and administrative buildings in the 1970s.

By a special agreement and international conventions, the building has a special legal status (Art. 3 Agreement of February 10, 1987).^[1] In addition to its function as administrative headquarters, the building is regularly used by the BIS for international meetings and conferences.