See some pictures from Vum Christophe Hochard’s full report HERE
4 industrial buildings preserved and given a new lease of life
During the demolition process, 4 buildings were carefully preserved, including the Halle des Soufflantes and the Poste d’Aiguillage.
The imposing rectangular building of the Halle des Soufflantes is going to be converted into a space dedicated to sports, probably including a climbing wall. The perfect complement to the ERA swimming pool. The Halle des Soufflantes will become a welcoming meeting place where residents of all ages can take part in their favourite sporting activities.
More surprisingly perhaps, the small signal box building, or Poste d’Aiguillage, has also been preserved. It’s also known as the “mushroom” in reference to its cylindrical shape topped off with what looks like a hat. It will most probably be converted into an unusual 60m² house. A totally unique living space to be rented out.
A new neighbourhood for everyone
The vast steelmaking site covers more than 10 hectares. It is estimated that it will take about ten years for Rout Lëns to be completely finished. It is a massive challenge, involving the construction of 1,400 homes for about 3,000 inhabitants!
Socio-economic diversity will be encouraged thanks to different kinds of housing to suit all budgets. For example, there will be student accommodation as well as subsidised housing. There will be something for older residents as well. Accommodation specifically designed for them will also be available.
This mix of properties means that there will be a diverse offering for future residents. This also has the advantage of speeding up the marketing process, which in turn means that work can progress more quickly.
As Joelle Pizzaferri, Secretary General of the local Socialist Party (LSAP), reminds us: “In these times, it is important to have affordable housing.”
Esch’s centre, shops and businesses will be preserved
Rout Lëns is designed to be a sustainable neighbourhood that respects the urban environment of which it is a part. This new neighbourhood, which is next to the Hiehl neighbourhood, aims to be CO² neutral and car-free.
Mr. Lux stresses the importance of not competing with what is already available. This’s why Rout Lëns is all about complementing its surroundings. This means that no superstores are planned, so as not to compete with the shops in the centre of Esch. The CEO confirms that there are already discussions and coordination meetings underway to promote complementarity between the town centre and Rout Lëns. For now, only a small neighbourhood convenience store is planned.
We are working on finding clever ways to connect the centre of Esch to the new Rout Lëns neighbourhood that respect everybody.
