Kuebebierg

A circular district with a positive impact

Revealing the geography and the natural and urban landscape: the project draws its essential components from the characteristics of the natural and urban environments. The primary structure for the urban design, defined in the schedule of non-negotiables, comprises a framework of public spaces connecting the Kuebebierg to the surrounding developed spaces and to the natural landscape, a mobility framework arranged around a new, high-performing public transport offer, and a biodiversity framework enabling the future district to be articulated with its wooded surroundings.

Towards co‐mobility, as an alternative to individual car use: Mobility is thought of in terms of diversity of demands, in order to reduce the share given over to individual car use, whilst not limiting the options for mobility. All alternatives to individual car use are encouraged and promoted in the public space. This approach requires an integrated vision to respond to today’s challenges in relation to traffic movements and environmental concerns.

A city of short travel routes: The city of short travel routes aims to offer a full complement of nearby services, facilities and spaces, making it possible to lead a pleasant daily life whilst favouring active modes of transport. The tramway link also makes it possible to develop complementary options, on a city-wide scale. The offer of a mix of mobility services also facilitates different geographical options, independent of the car.

A economical approach to resources, in an eco-system infrastructure: The project, through its design, set-up, forms and materials, seeks to make best use of the available resources (sun, wind, water, soil permeability, etc.) to reduce the needs of the buildings (heat, cold, light) and of urban spaces (lighting, utilities, etc.) and, simultaneously, to offer optimum living conditions (comfort, health) for residents.

Towards a social mix and urban vitality: The aim of the project is to build an environment promoting a social and generational mix and, more generally, facilitating diversity of lifestyles.

A dynamic strategy: The ambition of the project is to create together the conditions needed to achieve the social, environmental and landscaping quality objectives. The breadth of the project and the lead time for realising it require definition of a dynamic global strategy and intermediate objectives. This needs to take account of the progressive maturation of the urban offer, whilst ensuring desirable balance is achieved as urban development is progressed across the whole sector. The challenge is therefore to construct a time strategy which simultaneously takes account of the long-term objectives, the intermediate phases, the dynamics generated by the sector’s various transformation phases, changes in lifestyles during the urban development, and the possibility of urban changes beyond the current programme. Implementing the urban project, and its success, call for infrastructures to be created from the initial phases, along with the resources needed to ensure a balanced situation during the interim period and at the end, particularly with regard to local resources for everyday needs, together with mobility options.

In parallel, the Fund has adopted a “cradle to cradle”-inspired approach, aiming to generate positive impacts at the social, environmental and economic level, while putting individual well-being at the centre of these initiatives, which has led to a definition of a global vision: Living well in an urban setting in symbiosis with its environment. 

Based on this, in November 2019 the Fund launched a restricted paid tender for urban designers, landscape designers and urban sociologists, looking to devise an urban development plan based on studies conducted in advance (mobility, water management, energy, environment and ecological mitigations, economics and viability). The result is due to be announced in 2022.

The objectives by themes

The winning project: Si ville, si nature

In addition to the multidisciplinary expertise already commissioned for the drafting of the urban charter, the Kirchberg Fund wished to have three different proposals for an urban development plan drawn up, all of which would respect the studies already carried out and bring an integrated urban concept of high quality. On March 2, 2022, the winning team of the paid consultation for the urbanization of the Kuebebierg area presented its project. The team is led by Güller Güller architecture urbanism from Rotterdam and Zurich.

Imagine a district that is simultaneously city and nature – that is the challenge set for themselves by the members of the team around urban architect Mathis Güller. “We want to build this new part of the city starting from its topography,” he explains. In his urban development concept, the forest encircling the steeply sloping hills extends onto the plateau. As a result, each home in the future Kuebebierg district will be in direct contact with nature. The 7,000 residents will all have a view of the trees from their apartment. “Depending on the floor level, they will be living either in the canopy or above it,” says Güller.

Two primary axes and three key locations in community life will shape the development. A linear park and the tram line will connect the public spaces and the major facilities. The Porte Frieden and the Place du Kuebebierg will be located at the junction of these two axes.

Two axes, three key locations

At the entrance to the Kuebebierg when coming from Kiem district, the Porte Frieden is the district’s iconic location, a true hub between the Kuebebierg and the neighbouring districts, with shops, restaurants and services arranged around the tram stop. This is where students at the new Lycée Michel Lucius secondary school will be arriving in the mornings.

The avenue accommodating the tramway, generously-sized and planted along much of its length, has space for the tram, cars, cyclists and pedestrians. It’s where you will find major facilities such as the Lycée Michel Lucius, the National School for Adults (École nationale pour adultes, ENAD) and an integrated residential and nursing home (Centre intégré pour personnes âgées, CIPA). Craft businesses will be able to locate in the ground floors of the buildings.

Travelling this avenue, the tram passes via the Place Kuebebierg, the beating heart of the future district. Of a similar size to the Place Guillaume II in the city centre, it will be home to a wide range of shops, restaurants and cafés, along with events and festivals.

The second axis shaping the development, the linear park known as the “ligne de vie” (“lifeline”), will be the main area for relaxing in the district. The team around Mathis Güller has revealed the vision of a space where residents meet up and where the children of those living nearby can play out together. In this part of the Kuebebierg, the ground-floor apartments will be residential, thus contributing to the district’s human scale.

As you move towards the tip of the plateau, the district opens up towards the countryside and Luxembourg City. This is where you find the third key location in the Kuebebierg. The team around the Güller Güller architecture urbanism consultancy has imagined a recreational area for open-air sports, with a natural swimming pool. The parcels of land and orchards of a city farm will surround this large space.

The car no longer designs the city

“The Kuebebierg will be a district configured by the presence of pedestrians. The car no longer designs the city,” says Mathis Güller. At the Fund’s request, the public space will be freed of parked cars, and an ambitious ratio of 0.5 parking spaces per unit of housing will be applied. The project envisages six shared car parks, largely not connected with the accommodation, located along the avenue where the tram runs. A mobility hub will offer mobility options such as car-sharing and services promoting active mobility (parking spaces for bikes, bike hire and repair, etc.).

Following the specifications of the Kirchberg Fund, the project offers a wide variety of types of housing. The balance between affordable housing, low-cost housing and housing sold on the open market is investigated for each island, and not just at a district level.

Answering the call for affordable housing

“With this priority given to housing, the Kirchberg Fund is answering a real need. Thanks to the investments we are making, many people will be able to afford good-quality accommodation in a situation of housing scarcity, where prices in the real estate market are continuing to climb,” emphasises Marc Widong, the Fund’s Director.

Another major aim for the Fund is to build a pioneering district in terms of energy transition. "Our goal is to maximise the production of renewable energy", explains Marc Widong. “Our approach is based on three pillars: using energy efficiently, producing the maximum renewable energy on-site, and storing energy to cover the maximum needs on-site.”

François Bausch, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Mobility and Public Works is pleased with the results of the competition: "The project that the Fund will realise properly addresses the challenges of the 21^st century. Whether that is global warming, decarbonisation or demographic trends, the project puts forward innovative solutions. On a site of 33 hectares belonging entirely to the Fund, we will have the chance to build a district for people which demonstrates that city living and respect for the environment can go hand in hand. This project has the potential to become a model at the national level, and it can serve as a template for many future realisations."