Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

On 25 January, Arnaud De Meyer represented STDM as part of the Luxembourg delegation to Japan for the Ji Chin Sai of the Luxembourg pavilion as part of the World Expo to be held in Osaka in 2025. Luxembourg is therefore the first participating country to hold this ceremony!
This ritual, also known as “ground breaking”, is a traditional Japanese ceremony that takes place before the construction of any new building. Literally meaning “pacification of the grounds”, these rites of purification and restoration of harmony are intended to express gratitude and respect to the Kami (deity, spirit), to ask for their protection during the work, and to pray for the health and prosperity of those who will walk through the doors of the new building
The highlight of this ceremony is when the project representatives ‘break the ground’ by cutting the grass at the top of the mountain with a sickle, removing stones with a hoe and digging up the ground with a spade.

STDM at the AIPC annual conference

Nico Steinmetz had the privilege of giving a lecture to the AIPC – International Association of Convention Centres – on the topics of development of urban communities and taking part in a round-table discussion on how to better include them in major conference centers around the world.

The presentation took place as part of the AIPC-2023 annual conference from July 16 to 19 at the European Convention Center Luxembourg (ECCL).

The AIPC is one of the world’s oldest and largest convention center associations. It is a global network of some 190 leading centers in over 60 countries.
It promotes a multicultural dimension and emphasizes the role of these institutions in strengthening it. It maintains close working relationships with related organizations to ensure that its members are aware of global issues.

STATEC presents ‘Twist’ building

On 15 September, STATEC unveiled its future premises in the TWIST building designed by STDM. The 10,725m² of office space will house STATEC, the Maison de la Santé and the CNPD from June 2024.

The project led by ATENOR S.A. also includes 4,295m2 of housing, 1,450m2 of retail space and 222 parking spaces.

The building will pay particular attention to the ecological value of the site when landscaping. The project includes the creation of over 400 m² of green space and an extensive 1,100 m² green roof.

TWIST is aiming for BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and WELL ‘Gold’ certification.

Osaka2025 : signature with Naito House

A decisive step has just been taken for the Luxembourg pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka: on Friday September 15, the GIE Luxembourg@Expo2025Osaka signed a contract with the Japanese construction company Naito House Co Ltd, for the construction of the Luxembourg pavilion “Doki Doki – The Luxembourg Heartbeat”.

STDM is delighted to welcome Naito House to the process of co-creating this circular construction!

Read all about it in the press release.

Pics report of STDM’s study trip to Utrecht

At STDM, co-creation and collective commitment are at the heart of our DNA. Discovering, learning and sharing within our teams are fundamental values that inspire us every day.

This year, our quest for creativity and knowledge took us to the Netherlands, to Utrecht. We have explored places, buildings and towns that reflect our current projects.

Take a look at our STDM 2023 study trip to Utrecht!

STDM takes part in the 9th BusinessRun

We are proud of our team of 15 runners who braved the weather to represent STDM at the 9th BusinessRun!

They ran the 5.5km track on the Kirchberg plateau among over 5,000 participants from 348 companies. A great opportunity to strengthen team bonds, but also to support a great cause, as the BusinessRun is a partner of the Cancer Foundation.

Congratulations for their motivation and performance!

“Fête du bouquet” at SGI’s new offices

On Thursday 21 September 2023, SGI ingénieurs conseils will be celebrating the completion of the structure of their future offices, a joint project with STDM.
This innovative structure combines timber frames, concrete precast slabs with active slabs and precast concrete cores.
The structural elements will remain visible and form the backdrop to the interior fittings.

New managing team at STDM

A new management team has just been appointed within the agency, with the internal promotion of three new partners: Valentina Verri, Frédéric Legros and Mélanie Reisenthel.

It is already 35 years since Nico Steinmetz founded his office in Luxembourg, joined in 1995 by Arnaud De Meyer, with whom he created STEINMETZDEMEYER Architectes Urbanistes in 2001.

Valentina Verri, Frédéric Legros and Mélanie Reisenthel have been promoted internally as partners to strengthen the management team, which also includes Muriel Vereecken, who joined the firm in 1999 and became an associate in 2016.

The workshop officially adopts the name STDM, which has long been part of everyday conversation.

The new organisation confirms STDM’s commitment to quality of life, innovation and environmental responsibility, and to meeting social, ecological and economic challenges.

The Ministry of Defense moves into the Luxexpo exchange hub

STDM is proud to have been invited to the inauguration of the new administrative offices of the Ministry of Defense, presided over by the Minister of Mobility and Public Works, François Bausch, on Thursday June 29, 2023.

Their new offices, which we had the pleasure of designing with their needs in mind, are located in one of the office buildings of the Luxexpo exchange hub, where they now occupy 4 floors of around 750m2 each, giving a total surface area of 3000m2.

This hub, which we delivered in 2022, includes a bus station, a park-and-ride and 8,000m2 of office space in two buildings, and is intended to mark the entrance to Luxembourg City while helping to regulate traffic.

The Grünewald housing project published in A+D Architecture + Détail n°52

Our Grünewald housing project in Kirchberg was published in A+D Architecture + Détail n°52.

The article describes the construction of these 3 social housing buildings, which comply with passive construction standards and focus on the quality of life of their occupants.

Our projects in Kirchberg in Paperjam

The Fonds Kirchberg presented its 2018 annual report on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, particularly with regard to the urban development of Kirchberg.

STDM is mentioned with the Serra exchange hub at the entrance to the town, which aims at fluidifying mobility. The project is partly functional, with a streetcar stop and bus station.

The Avenue Kennedy Sud housing project is also highlighted. The aim is to develop a policy of affordable housing with SNHBM, the project owner. Here, STDM has designed a neighborhood based on cradle-to-cradle principles.

The Avenue Kennedy Sud housing project in Paperjam

Paperjam has published an article in response to the press conference held on Monday June 12, 2023 regarding the Avenue Kennedy Sud housing project.

The article recalls the history of the project and gives the floor to the various players involved, including Nico Steinmetz, about the original desire to develop a project based on cradle-to-cradle principles and its economic reality.

The article is thought-provoking, raising the question of whether sustainable architecture is really achievable in Luxembourg in the current context.

STDM remains optimistic and outlines options for the years to come.

WELL22 published in Paperjam

Our office building project Well 2 in Howald has been published in Paperjam. This building will be the first in Luxembourg to be certified to the WELL Building Standard. WELL measures, certifies and monitors the performance of a built environment, based on its impact on the health and well-being of its occupants.

STDM is also aiming for BREEAM Excellent certification, a British certification standard for the environmental assessment of buildings.

The footbridge connecting the districts of Cents, Neudorf and Weimershof in CityMag May 2021

The May 2021 issue of CityMag presents the project for the construction of a footbridge and an elevator for bicycles and pedestrians connecting the districts of Cents, Neudorf and Weimershof.

This project has already been presented to the city’s public space, mobility and public works Commissions and should be submitted to the city council by the end of the year.

Our goal with this footbridge and elevator is to advance soft mobility of these 3 districts and to provide a direct connection.

STDM wins 2nd place in the consultation for the Convict Center

On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, Ms. Christine Müller, president of the jury of the paid consultation for the future urban development of the Convict site in Luxembourg City, announced the list of winners at a press conference.

The consultation, initiated by Lafayette S.A., focused on the urban planning vision for the development and densification of this exceptional downtown area.

STDM, in collaboration with Christophe Gautrand & Associés Paysagistes (FR), is close behind the first prize won by CBA/Christian Bauer Architecte (LU) and AREAL (LU).

The Metaform office (LU) wins the 3rd prize, followed by the BBUNCH collective (LU).

We are delighted to have had the honor of participating in the future architectural development of this site.

Luxembourg Architecture Awards 2019: Mention for the Pfaffenthal public lift

We are honored and proud to announce that the Pfaffenthal public lift has received a MENTION in the category of ART WORKS & STRUCTURES at the Luxembourg Architects Awards 2019!

This project was designed in collaboration with the engineering firms INCA Ingénieurs Conseils Associés SARL and Jean Schmit Engineering SARL for the City of Luxembourg.

Inauguration of the Niki Bettendorf sport centre

The project for the new Omnisport Hall, which includes a multi-sports hall, a multi-purpose room, all the additional premises and the extension of the municipal administration offices, represents the first phase of the complete project.  The construction of the new Education and Reception Service represents the second phase.

The two main functions (Omnisport Hall and Early childhood education and care) are grouped together in one building, forming a “background” to the existing Community House building. This background, lower than the existing building, is a coherent “whole” and stands out by a contemporary expression, respectful of the existing built fabric and natural environment.

The challenge of this project is to organize a significant program on a limited site at the back of the existing Community House. The main functions are juxtaposed and intertwined to form a coherent, functional whole where everyone can find their place.

The difference in levels, already existing on the site, allows for clear access for the different types of users: sports clubs, spectators, children, educators, parents, etc. The multi-sport hall is mainly developed on 3 levels. An underground level housing a large multi-purpose room, the semi-buried level the multi-sports hall and the first floor the refreshment room and the bleachers.

The multi-sports hall is directly accessible from the shared space. Either by the main entrance located on the square on the first floor, or by the secondary entrance, located below the Community House, facing the Pétrusse.

The Education and Reception Service, which is the subject of a second phase of construction, will be developed on 4 levels.  The ground and the first floor each have two reception units with various activity rooms and canteens.  The center of the building contains all the service rooms. The basement contains the kitchens, the staff changing rooms as well as the technical and storage rooms. The roof level is a play and activity yard accessible to children and educators. It is partially covered by a courtyard. This innovative roof layout provides a whole series of outdoor spaces complementary to the spaces housed around the buildings.

“Une ligne circulaire”, the publication presenting the sustainable and circular approach of STDM

We are very proud and happy to present our latest publication entitled “Une Ligne Circulaire” (a circular line).

In this book we look back on a series of projects that have been a reference in the journey of our architectural studio and that have contributed to build the reflections that allow us today to design projects on the principles of sustainable and circular development.

Through this approach we finally discovered that the line of our production naturally led to circularity.

The book is on sale in the following bookshops in Luxembourg:

Fellner Louvigny bookstore

Ernster bookstore

Alinea bookstore.

 

UNE LIGNE CIRCULAIRE

format 21 x 21 cm

78 pages

soft cover

publisher: STEINMETZDEMEYER sàrl.

selling price 15,00 € incl. VAT

ISBN:978-99959-0-540-8

STDM chosen to represent Luxembourg in Osaka in 2025

We are pleased to announce that our concept in co-creation with jangled nerves has been officially chosen for the Pavillon Luxembourgeois @ EXPO 2025 OSAKA. The press conference took place on June 10, 2022, in the premises of the Kirchberg Fund with the Minister of Economy, Franz Fayot, who announced the result.

We named our project “Doki Doki”, which is a Japanese onomatopoeia that illustrates the sound of a heartbeat when one is enthusiastic. Like us at the press conference!

Based on the central theme of the Universal Exhibition: “Designing a future society for our lives”, we presented to the jury, as part of the tender, a concept for a zero-carbon pavilion that connects ideas, people and the image of Luxembourg. We want to create a concept where different communities can meet. A place for experimentation and immersion, to immerse yourself in Luxembourg and an architecture that blends sustainably into its environment.

Inauguration of the Luxexpo exchange hub

The Exchange Hub Luxexpo was officially inaugurated on Friday, May 6, 2022 by the Minister of Mobility and Public Works, Mr. François Bausch, in the presence of, among others, the Mayor of the City of Luxembourg, Lydie Polfer and Mr. Marc Widong, Director of the Fonds Kirchberg.

This hub includes a bus station, a P+R parking lot and 8000m2 of offices in two buildings. The aim was to create a new entrance to the city and to considerably reduce the traffic load in the city.

A footbridge linking the Cents, Neudorf and Weimershof districts

The City of Luxembourg presents the project designed by STDM, NEY & Partners and Jean Schmit Engineering: a new footbridge linking the Plateau des Cents and the Plateau du Kirchberg offers a 4.5-meter wide path exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists, to encourage soft mobility.

In Cents, the bridge is accessible from Tawioun Street, and in Weimershof, from Rue des Bleuets.

It is expected to be operational by 2025!

Inauguration of Place Kinnen in Dudelange

Friday May 26, 2023 saw the inauguration of the new “shared space” and Place Kinnen in Dudelange, presided over by Mayor Dan Biancalana, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Mobility and Public Works François Bausch, Minister of the Interior Tania Bofferding and FCAD Chairman Steve Quaring.

The new Place Kinnen features benches and seats in a variety of shapes and forms, inviting passers-by to stop off; mature trees carefully maintained throughout the construction period, complemented by younger plantings, and a playful water fountain further enhance its attractiveness for the summer months.

With these ingredients and the surrounding cafés and restaurants that will be able to deploy their terraces, this public space, which since the 60s has been a car junction at the foot of the church, will have transformed into a new public square welcoming pedestrians and cyclists, shaded by trees and the culmination of the “shared spaces” developed in three phases since 2015 in Av. Grand-Duchesse Charlotte.

As a result, the city of Dudelange has become warmer and friendlier than ever, conducive to meetings and exchanges.

The new location of Yvette Gastauer-Claire’s renovated sculpture “Wou dat roud Gold gegruewe gouf” at the crossroads of the “Niddeschgaass” and the new Place Kinnen, in the form of a curved, rimless water basin dug into the ground, is also noteworthy.

Team STDM: Nico Steinmetz, Frédéric Legros, Mélody Renaud

Bauhäreprais OAI 2020: 4 awards for our clients!

We are honored and proud to have accompanied our award-winning building owners on stage 4 times at the OAI Bauhäreprais 2020 awards ceremony:

  • The City of Luxembourg received the SPECIAL AWARD FOR ACCESSIBILITY as well as a MENTION in the category WORKS OF ART / INFRASTRUCTURE for the Pfaffenthal lift.
  • The City of Dudelange received a MENTION in the category LAND-USE PLANNING / URBAN PLANNING for the Place Am Duerf and the Shared Space avenue Grand-Duchesse Charlotte.
  • Mr. Pit Seven received the SPECIAL AWARD for EXEMPLARY ENERGY RENOVATION for the Mamerhaff project.

The quality of the relationship of trust that we create and maintain with our clients is highlighted and rewarded. It is an essential element for the success of the projects.

“A good project is above all a good client.”

His confidence is not due, it is earned and maintained throughout the project.

To relive the evening: https://youtu.be/w6b4h-DC6F8

Laying of the foundation stone for the refurbishment and extension of the Grand-Duc Jean barracks at Herrenberg in Diekirch

The foundation stone of the refurbishment and extension of the Grand-Duc Jean barracks at Herrenberg in Diekirch was laid on Thursday, April 20, 2023, presided by François BAUSCH, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Mobility and Public Works and Minister of Defense, in the presence among others of Colonel Alain Schoeben, Commander of the Forces of the Luxembourg Army and General Steve Thull, Chief of Staff of the Luxembourg Army.

STDM in momentary association with Frei(raum) Architekten, as well as the offices of Holweck Bingen Architectes, Planet+ are collaborating on the design of this major project, of which the preparatory work began in 2021, with completion scheduled for 2029.

More specifically, STDM is in charge of the design of new buildings including a new sports infrastructure and a new restaurant and leisure infrastructure.

The challenge is also about energy: buildings will have to comply with the current standards and regulations and reduce energy loss as much as possible by also optimizing technical installations with to reduce energy consumption as much as possible.

The press conference to unveil the Avenue Kennedy Sud housing project

The press conference to unveil the Avenue Kennedy Sud housing project took place on Monday June 12, 2023, chaired by François Bausch, Minister of Mobility and Public Works, and Henri Kox, Minister of Housing.

The aim of this new district, to which we are particularly proud to be able to contribute, is not only to fill a housing deficit in Kirchberg, but also to create a multifunctional environment for the inhabitants of these 250 homes: a park and meeting places to encourage exchanges and leisure activities, commercial premises and first floor offices to energize the district.

We also aim to encourage soft mobility, with 777 bicycle parking spaces and direct access to the network of cycle paths. The proximity of streetcar, bus and funicular lines facilitates the use of public transport and car-free mobility. Grey water recovery systems make it possible to completely disconnect toilet flushes from drinking water.

Work began several months ago and is scheduled for completion in 2028.