Royal Hamilius block in Luxembourg by Foster + Partners
Last month, Foster + Partners won the competition for Royal Hamilius in Luxembourg. Launched by the City of Luxembourg, which owns the buildings, the project sits within a district listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the end of this third phase, the shortlist comprised schemes by Arlette Schneiders architectes and by the pairings Kada Wittfeld Architektur / Dagli+ atelier d'architecture, Chapman Taylor LLP – Chapman Taylor / Steinmetz De Meyer, and Foster + Partners / Tetra Kayser Paul et associés.
It was the last of these teams that ultimately won, with Codic International as investor-developer and Jones Lang LaSalle handling the management of the retail space. The brief set by the city includes shops, offices, housing, and social and civic spaces. Respect for the urban fabric, as well as for its economic activity, is built into the brief.
The project creates a link with the historic district, anchoring the development to the Hôtel des Postes, which serves as a backdrop. The scheme respects the urban plan and preserves the sightlines along the Grand-Rue and Avenue Monterey. Notably, the project is broken up into several buildings, echoing the existing diversity. Rue Aldringen will become a shopping street, with entrances to the housing above. The whole development will be topped by a roof garden offering a panorama over the city. A bar wrapped in curved steel sheets will sit in the middle of this landscaped garden.
Gallery
4 images- © Foster + Partners
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