The site, spread out over eleven hectares, is due to transform from an abandoned post-industrial site to a centre of life as a residential neighbourhood. Operations on the former iron ore site ceased 43 years ago, leaving the fate of the site unclear.
However, a new project under the name of 'Rout Lëns' (red lentil) is due to inject life into the area whilst tackling Luxembourg's ongoing housing crisis.
Over the course of the next decade, the site will become a residential neighbourhood, including apartment blocks, houses, local shops, flexible work spaces and a primary school. By 2025, around 1,400 apartments will have been built, with around 3,000 residents moving in after this point.
The new neighbourhood will not be built on a blank slate, as the project managers hope to incorporate elements of the site's past. Five of the former Arbed buildings will be restored rather than demolished, namely the ones built out of red tiles. The project's goal is to "give new life to this disused former steelmaking area by converting it into new sustainable, innovative, model district."
The project's vision, which emphasises developments in constantly-changing lifestyles, is based on four key tenets: a central focus on people and residents, environmental protection, building infrastructure to link the neighbourhood to the city centre, and enhancing the site's industrial heritage.
