School center Leudelange (LUX)

project School center Leudelange with preschool, basic school, maison relais and underground parking garage client Community of Leudelange (LUX) complete architecture services WW+, Esch-sur-Alzette (LUX), team 31, Luxembourg (LUX) LPH 6-8, landscaping terra.nova, München (D), LPH 1-3, structural engineering TECNA, Luxemburg (L), technical engineering Siegel Schleimer, Aspelt (L) 1. Phase - gfa 2,485 m² gv 9.680 m³ 2. Phase - gfa 4,947 m² gv 19.674 m³ net construction costs € 14,237,156 total gross costs € 20,719,049 planning phase 1 06/2014 – 03/2018 planning phase 2 06/2014 - 12/2020 realisation phase 1 04/2017 – 09/2020, realisation phase 2 12/2020 – 09/2024 competition 2-stage realization competition 1st prize + commission (for complete architecture phases), renderings Rendertaxi, photos Linda Blatzek

Introduction

On behalf of the municipality, a modern, pedagogically future-oriented educational campus based on an integrated model was created in two phases, forming a key component within the overall revitalization of Leudelange’s town center. The integrated model refers to the shared use of a building complex combining teaching functions and after-school care (Maison Relais), resulting in significant synergies. To meet these requirements, workshops were held with teachers, educators, municipal representatives, and representatives of the Ministry. A Comité de Pilotage made up of workshop participants was established to accompany the planning team throughout the entire design phase. This integrative planning process was central for all stakeholders and helped shape the new school complex in line with the needs of its future users—children and educators alike. The objective was to jointly create a place for community and interaction that is aesthetically appealing and welcoming, without neglecting the necessary functionality. The result is a modern school complex with light-filled, architecturally high-quality spaces that respond sensitively and carefully to the individual needs of their users—spaces that convey a sense of safety, protection, and comfort while simultaneously providing an environment for self-directed learning.

Urban Integration & Phasing Plan

Located in the very heart of the municipality of Leudelange, at the center of existing public infrastructure such as the town hall, the church, and Rue du Lavoir as one of the town’s main traffic arteries, a substantial extension of the existing educational landscape has been realized in recent years.

The multi-phase realization of the project, chosen jointly with the client, enabled the uninterrupted continuation of existing functions and avoided the need for a costly and uncomfortable temporary container solution for teachers, educators, and children during the construction phases. Throughout every stage of development, planning, and implementation, the overall construction process was shaped by the challenges associated with the ongoing operation of an existing facility. This required optimized, forward-looking planning to ensure continuous operation and safety for all users in the surrounding environment.

Phase I was handed over to its users at the start of the new school year in September 2020. Construction work for Phase II began immediately thereafter and was completed in November 2024. In parallel, the redesign of the entire outdoor area was carried out and completed in time for the start of the school year in September 2025. Public transport connections along Rue du Lavoir will be adapted to the new conditions in the near future.

Phase I

The first phase, designed as a three-storey head building, now accommodates the student restaurant as well as staff areas for teachers and educators at schoolyard level, a library and four group rooms on the upper floor, and a production kitchen with ancillary facilities and technical rooms in the basement at street level along Rue du Lavoir. The basement and ground floor were assigned their final functions from the outset. The group rooms on the upper floor temporarily housed children from Précoce and Préscolaire. In preparation for the realization of Phase II, the former pavilion-like buildings of the Précoce and Préscolaire were subsequently demolished, making space for the new construction. The two-storey, glazed entrance area, later conceived as a connecting building, also serves for address formation, as a reception area, and as an indoor play space for the children.

Phase II

With the completion of the second building—i.e., the final spaces for the Précoce and Préscolaire students—these groups were able to relocate, allowing the upper floor of Building 1 to be occupied by four groups of Cycle II and a library. In the basement at street level along Rue du Lavoir are the rooms for the workshops (ateliers) for primary school children (music, woodworking/crafts, theater, makerspace, and wet room). Five group rooms and four ateliers for Précoce and Préscolaire are located at schoolyard level.

Outlook Phase III

The relocation of Cycle II from the existing school created additional space for Cycles III and IV, which are still housed there. The possibility remains for a third project phase, which was envisaged during the competition as the renovation and modernization of the existing building, combined with the addition of a further extension.

Schoolyard / Outdoor Areas

As a vibrant extension of the school, the two schoolyards are integrated into the natural terrain and engage in dialogue with one another through play, nature, and movement. Connected by two staircases and a slide, a playful landscape emerges in which each level offers its own experience: above, a world of imagination; below, a space for discovery.

The upper schoolyard lies under the light shade of sun sails and features a sandbox, hammocks, and a fountain. The use of durable, nature-oriented wooden play equipment blends harmoniously with the natural color palette of the surroundings. The fully permeable ground surface ensures that rainwater can naturally seep away. Further down, the yard opens into the community garden, conceived as a sequence of islands reminiscent of a pond: net bridges and ball play areas with hybrid turf—an innovative material combining comfort and durability. Even retention basins become adventure playgrounds here: a balancing course transforms this technical area into a place of exploration. The large stepped staircase with seating steps connects these two worlds, inviting both movement and lingering, observation, and exchange. After school hours, local residents rediscover this open space as a lively community park where children, families, and walkers can meet.

Underground Parking Garage

The underground parking garage, located beneath the Phase II building section and the schoolyard, provides a total of 46 parking spaces, including three barrier-free (PMR) spaces and two motorcycle spaces. In addition, a separate bicycle storage room is available, allowing for the safe and convenient parking of bicycles. Two access points lead users to the garage: the main access via the stairwell oriented toward the schoolyard and the municipal administration, and a second access via the stairwell on Rue du Lavoir. Artist Viktor Tricar enhanced the underground garage with colorful wall paintings. Artistic images were created on the concrete columns of the parking area as well as on the wall of the main stairwell, simultaneously serving as wayfinding elements that guide users to the garage and transforming it into a vibrant, colorful place.