Empty industrial sites are frequent occurrences due to structural changes of cities. The areas and buildings left behind, initially inaccessible to the public, provide cities with new spaces. These play an important role for a future-oriented, progressive urban planning. During long processes the areas are transformed into residential, cultural or new commercial spaces. Through opening the area for the public, stories and knowledge about former uses of the industrial site disappear. Urban changes become difficult to comprehend if the process is not properly documented. As cities are in a constant flux and people adapt to new environments very quickly, it is often forgotten how it had felt or looked before. This raises the question of how urban changes can be documented, made visible and perceptible.

In Basel, too, there are numerous ongoing ideas and projects for the conversion of former industrial and commercial areas. As an example of a transformation process that is still in its infancy, this master’s thesis is focused on the disused factory site “Franck-Areal” in Basel. Its emptiness offers to be explored and creates new spaces of possibilities. Inspired by the techniques of photoethnography and visual anthropology, the area is explored and documented over a period of five months. The research is mainly done through participative observation with the use of the medium photography and is used as a tool for “data collection”. By looking through the camera, a different view of the environment is experienced. Through the process of photography, moments are illuminated that are only perceived through the view of the camera. Through the resulting images, moments are highlighted that will disappear with the transformation. These moments refer not only to the visually perceived, but also to a holistic, physical experience of space that is incorporated during this work. During the process of taking photographs, it is not only the sense of sight that is focused on the surroundings, but also the presence of the whole body in the space.

In addition to the photographs, further material is produced during the five-month “field research”. After visiting the site, personal impressions and experiences and notes from conversations are written down. A further exploration of the ‘empty space’ are the photographs and pictures from old books and archives. They contribute to overcome the physical and mental inaccessibility of the area.

As a second part the images that have been created and collected are subsequently ordered, analysed and evaluated with reference to ethnographic methods. This leads to categories that indicate the symbolism of the images. They also reveal the photographer’s perspective and point of view. These indicate which motifs were perceived as important during the research. For example, they show the importance and symbolism of doors which played an essential role during the work.

The resulting material is processed into a physical publication that allows the viewer to experience the place. Linked to the personal experiences during the research period, the readers go through a small section of the transformation process, from an untouchable to a space of possibility.