The Kennedy building, located on the edge of Esch-sur-Alzette town centre, replaced squatted buildings with a view to revitalising the area. The project owner, Fonds du Logement, wanted to create student accommodation close to the new Belval university campus, as well as a citizens’ centre offering various services to residents.
The challenge was to set up a strong social project on a complex plot of land sandwiched between two streets, a railway viaduct and a road leading to France.

To reconcile the different functions, we designed the housing on a light base, housing the citizens’ centre. By visually distinguishing this from the student accommodation through an overhang at viaduct level, we gave the building a remarkable character, accentuated by the play of shadows and projections. A graffiti artist worked on the ground floor to reinforce its identity and deter acts of vandalism, while reflecting the social mix of the neighbourhood.

The complex, which has been well received by the city and its users, has become a landmark in the revitalisation of the area along Boulevard Kennedy, alongside other striking architectural features.