© Domingos Oliveira
The rapid pace of construction in Luxembourg City is prompting reflection on the story its contemporary architecture tells and its relationship with the city's historical fabric.
During a tour of the city with our colleagues from RTL Infos, architect Shahram Agaajani expressed a conflicted perspective, voicing both admiration and concern. He suggested that the city is "losing its identity" due to development that can be "without vision and without quality."
Agaajani, a Luxembourger of Iranian origin and co-founder of the prominent firm Metaform Architects, is a key figure in shaping the city's skyline. His firm's projects include the Luxembourg pavilion in Dubai, the new POST building near the central station, the redesigned future CFL headquarters, and the Skypark at Findel Airport.
Despite his firm's central role in this transformation, Agaajani has become a public critic of the forces driving it. In the magazine "Architecture deLUX," he wrote, "We are witnessing extremely rapid urbanisation, where the economy is always the priority [...] There is no room for reflection. In the medium and long term, we suffer from this opportunistic urban development."
He believes this situation is exacerbated by a lack of professional critique. "Criticism is essential for architecture and our profession, but unfortunately it is practically non-existent in Luxembourg," Agaajani stated.
His dissenting voice stands out in Luxembourg's architectural landscape, underscoring a key point: that contemporary architecture benefits greatly from a critical eye.
Does modern architecture still have a soul?
A walk through Luxembourg City reveals a stark architectural juxtaposition at nearly every turn, raising a fundamental question: does contemporary architecture possess a distinct soul, and how does it coexist with its historical counterparts?
On one side, the city's historic buildings provide a familiar and postcard-ready backdrop. Constructed from stone, wood, brick, and slate, their weathered façades and ornate details project a sense of robustness and craftsmanship. However, these structures can also be viewed as outdated or structurally limiting by modern standards, where concrete enables more ambitious and economically driven designs.
Adjacent to these monuments stands a new generation of architecture. These modern buildings, often angular compositions of steel and glass, reflect the nation's prosperity. Concrete allows for dramatic cantilevers and large-scale commercial and residential complexes. This shift in materials and form prompts critical questions about the long-term sustainability and longevity of these new constructions compared to their historical neighbours.
A significant consequence of this modern approach is the decline of ornamental detail and artisanal imperfection. Critics argue that this progress sanitises a city's character, leading to a globally replicable architectural style that lacks a sense of place and local identity.
"This demolition frenzy in Luxembourg is a scandal"
These themes formed the basis of a discussion with architect Shahram Agaajani during a tour from the central station to Findel Airport, following the path of the tram line.
The tour began at the iconic 1950s-era CFL headquarters, a project currently being renovated by his firm, Metaform. While the building was deemed poorly insulated and too narrow, Agaajani argued that demolishing the listed structure would have been misguided.
He used the project to critique a broader trend, pleading for a more profound understanding of sustainability. "We need to stop the greenwashing. Sustainability isn't just about recycling or wooden construction. True sustainability is the lifespan of a building," Agaajani stated. He expressed indignation at the common practice of demolition, calling it a "scandal".
"It took an incredible effort to produce the 1,250 m3 of concrete for this iconic building, and we're supposed to knock it down? To do what? Build a new building that another architect will knock down in 50 years? I mean, we have to stop this, this demolition frenzy, this 'tabula rasa' of the entire country," he said. His firm's solution is to preserve the original structure while adding an extension to double its capacity, with work slated for completion in late 2027.
La place de Paris. / © Domingos Oliveira
The tour then proceeded to Place de Paris, a site with a history as a former municipal border. While the area features historic Art Nouveau and Haussmann-style architecture, Agaajani criticised the modern redesign for its lack of warmth.
He described it as "a square where you don't want to stop," attributing this to the "coldness of the materials used, or the mineral aspect, the concrete side [...] It lacks a bit of urban poetry."
Le siège de la BCEE / © Domingos Oliveira
The tour continued to the Spuerkeess building, a capital landmark with a hidden secret. Agaajani pointed out that while its façade features cut stone and craftsmanship inspired by 17th and 18th-century French châteaux, the underlying structure tells a different story.
"It's a building from 1922, it's a contemporary building, we're in the era of Le Corbusier [...] so the structure of this building is reinforced concrete," Agaajani explained, highlighting the contrast between its traditional appearance and modern construction.
Le pont Adolphe / © Domingos Oliveira
The next stop was Place de Metz, offering a view of the Adolphe Bridge. Agaajani marvelled at the structure, which once held a world record for its 85-metre arch span. He noted the unique use of Luxembourg sandstone as its primary material.
"The irony is that if we wanted to build a structure with the same stone today, we couldn't," he stated, explaining that modern certification requirements and regulatory constraints make it too complicated. He contrasted this with the ease of using standardised materials like concrete and breeze blocks.
This shift, he argued, comes at a cost to the nation's character. "We are somehow losing our identity," Agaajani lamented. "What is our identity? It's this stone right under our feet and in the most beautiful structures in the country. We are losing that identity because there's a certain Nordic culture of all-wood everything, because there's greenwashing [...] Luxembourg is a country of artisans, with ancestral know-how that we are losing," he warned.
Kirchberg, a playground for foreign architects
Next there is the Royal Hamilius. Shahram Agaajani sees both positives and negatives in the relatively new shopping destination, with Galeries Lafayette and Fnac among others, created by famous architect Norman Foster.
"The positive is that the city didn't sell the land, it rented it out longterm. That's good. But on the flipside it's a project largely based on speculation. And then by bringing in a star, they purchased themselves a certain legitimacy on an international level. But just because a famous architect was involved, doesn't mean anything has changed for Luxembourg City. On the contrary."
Shahram Agaajani devant le Royal Hamilius, et en arrière plan l'hôtel des postes. / © RTL
With the galleries, the illustrious former post office building, which is to be renovated into a luxury hotel and shops, or the absurd story of 49 boulevard Royal, an old property which is still resisting purchase by developers and demolition, Hamilius remains a source of tension for many residents. "Royal Hamilius is a project for investors and entrepreneurs rather than an urbanisation or architectural project, it's an expression of unbridled capitalism instead of a social project," summarised the Land.
The tram deposited us at the Glacis, opposite the large car park which holds the Schueberfouer every summer. "This is a space that is a bit like the city's lungs due to its importance." Not just due to the trees, but the open space offered in the midst of a concrete forest. "It's a junction between the city centre and Limpertsberg. This place could have played a role in connecting both areas, encouraging soft mobility, but people can only cross it or park there," says Agaajani.
Le Kirchberg / © Domingos Oliveira
Next we head to Kirchberg on the tram. Once the city's vegetable garden, where crops were grown and choucroute was manufactured once upon a time, now agricultural fields have given way to banks and European institutions. In the second half of the 20th century, Kirchberg became a playground for architects – "but not Luxembourgish architects," points out Shahram Agaajani.
"Instead international stars came with their own ideas, their own sculptures. But is there a link between the different buildings? Not really. But then if you look at the Philharmonie it's one of the country's most stunning architectural successes. Like the architect is saying 'it's so ugly around my building, that I've created my own bamboo forest to protect from the outside and to make my musical world inside'."
The city tour ends with a monumental building site: Findel's Skypark. The building, which is 400 metres long, designed by Metaform and Danish firm BIG, will be finished soon. "This is an exceptional building for its size, nearly 80,000 square metres of useful space. And also the choice of building materials, it's one of the biggest wooden constructions in Europe. We're talking about 15,000 cubic metres of wood used. So to give an idea of the scale, that's enough to fill six Olympic swimming pools." The wood is European and the building's façade is covered in 80% recycled copper.
Luxembourg, concludes the architect, is "a playground which can be dangerous but also interesting because of the meeting of cultures. One can have a Luxembourgish client, a Danish one, South American, each with their own view. It's mutually enriching and very exhilarating. But dangerous because of the risk of falling into a speculative trap. The architect is ultimately a magician of surfaces. Luxembourg has suffered from this speculation and we've seen many beautiful old buildings disappear as a result, losing our identity in the process."
