LUMEN

Location :

Luxembourg-Gare

Client :

Private

Volume :

9 170 m3

Area :

2 310 m2

Period :

2015 – 2018

Energy efficiency :

AAA

Civil engineer :

INCA Ingénieurs-Conseils Associés

Technical engineer :

Boydens Engineering

Photos :

Eric Chenal, Konstantinos Deko, DHau

Nominations :

EU Mies Award 2019

Luxembourg Architecture Award 2019

Bauhärepräis 2020

The building is located in an urban district, where the street atmosphere is rather lively and the architectural character of the neighborhood is heterogeneous and disparate.

Lumen is built on a confined plot, with the sunlight coming exclusively from the street, offering optimal light for an enjoyable private universe.

Density, luminosity, intimacy, delight, urbanity, are keywords describing this project.

 Both neighboring buildings each have 7 levels, one additional than permitted by the development plan.

For seamless urbanistic integration, the height of the ceiling’s building is set to 3 meters.

In honor of the ‘Plateau Bourbon’, the façade is made of roman travertine stone which has a distinctive feel and texture as well as a rich architectural history.

The mobile and perforated shutters are conceived as a protective skin, or visual filters, providing

 

 

 

 

intimacy without obscuring the light, and allowing for sublimation of the light both for the public and private space.

Depending on the intensity of daylight, the inside is illuminated by a shifting play of light adding atmosphere to the interior space. At nighttime, the building’s lit up interior spaces offer to the street side a play of light in return.

A unique vertical circulation parallel to the street, acts as the spine of the building, determining the interior configuration, and allowing for generous living spaces on the sunnier side.

On each level there are two apartments or duplex. For the sake of calm and quiet, the bedrooms are located to the inner courtyard. The large living spaces, including open-plan or standard kitchen, are oriented towards the street and benefit from the direct sunlight.

The thermal envelope as well as the technical choices made for this building enable an AAA energy efficiency.