Border Infrastructure: Translating the Structure of the In-Between

Abstract

Within the European Union, policies promoting integration and transnationalization have raised questions about the nature of borders and boundaries. With these shifts in conception emerge an opportunity to re-imagine how borders might be urbanized and developed. The Dreiländerecke (the Three Countries Corner between Switzerland, France, and Germany in Metrobasel) is one instance of this phenomenon, standing at the threshold of change towards increased transborder cooperation and a loosening of political boundaries. However, this process is hindered by residual urban barriers. This thesis investigates the liminal space of borders which provides a rich basis for forming a multi-scalar approach towards infrastructural, architectural, and programmatic strategies for cross-border development. Although connectivity is sought, it is not the ultimate aim, for unfettered integration risks a globalizing homogenization. Instead, this thesis investigates an architecture that facilitates the liminal process as core identities become translated at the meeting point of national cultures.