The transformation of the former Dreispitz customs depot into a mixed-use urban neighborhood is one of the most extensive urban development projects in 21st-century Basel. The Nordspitze, the northern tip of the Dreispitz and of the entire agglomeration of the Birstal, adjoins Basel’s city center. It is also the eastern continuation of the lively Gundeldingen neighborhood, dating from the late 19^th century and identified by a largely orthogonal street grid.

The urban proposal conceived by Herzog & de Meuron for the Nordspitze is based on creating a dense urban quarter with a diversity of open spaces for the neighborhood and the city. Three high-rise buildings and a permeable block consisting of single mid-rise buildings stand close together around a publicly accessible space. This city garden, with its almost traditional typology, faces the street front of the historic neighborhood. It consists of a large lawn and spacious trees. Its location at the end of Güterstrasse links it to "ordinary" public spaces.

A second open space, larger than a soccer field, is located on the roof of the permeable block. It is connected to the streets and surrounding squares and also accessible to the public. Surrounded by the rooftops of the city and flanked by the sloping topography of Bruderholz, it offers a unique location in Basel. Its innovative green typology is thematically linked to nature and health.

The Nordspitze will be an open neighborhood with built areas and green spaces in equal measure. If the roof garden is factored in as well, seventy percent of the total area consists of open spaces accessible to the public. The wide range of built and green typologies allows for a diversity of uses and activities: residential and office space, commercial and educational uses, sports and recreational facilities, and public institutions.