You see it, this old building that housed the Hobbi shop until the end of 2024. Shortly before the end of the lease, due to works in the neighbourhood, Cactus decided to close this historic location a little earlier than planned. La Coiffe, the hairdressing salon in the basement of the building, also folded, due to a drop in footfall linked to the construction work. That leaves Fressnapf and Tonic Food, which will continue to operate.

The Feidt family, via Immobilière Feidt, owns this retail space of around 6,500m2 straddling the communes of Luxembourg and Hesperange. It could have followed the “trend”: demolish and rebuild a residential building, or a more modern shopping centre. Instead, the watchword is boldness and a challenge, that of rehabilitating this shopping centre to give it a second wind and make it a central point in the future district.

“We realised that this building still had something to say and could very well accommodate modern functions that meet the expectations of today’s customer. This choice also reflects a typically Luxembourgish procedural reality. The urban planning project for the Boulevard des Scillas cannot be carried out on the land in question, as there is currently a discrepancy between the PAGs [general development plans] of the two municipalities concerned. As a result, the new Scilla’s Shopping Square will have to take its place," explains Ferd Feidt, who is also CEO of Bétons Feidt.

For the man who is also an architect by trade, common sense favours reuse and pragmatism. Without demolishing everything and without colossal investments, the ambition is to breathe new life into this place and to reorientate the commercial offer. “We started thinking about this a year ago. We want to avoid creating a ‘monster,’ in other words setting up a single, large retailer. Instead, our aim is to make it a dynamic centre, with a range of different products and variety, targeting a younger, more family-oriented clientele,” Feidt details.

As part of a more sustainable approach, the aim is to work with what already exists in the building, which was modernised in 2006. More than just a shopping centre, the Feidt family hopes to transform the site into a genuine living space and meeting place, with the support of architects Arco and Moreno. To achieve this, it has carefully studied the applications from retailers wishing to set up shop there.

Sports shops, interior design stores, photo shops...

“What we need to do, above all, is think about the customers, what they’re looking for. That’s why we’re focussing on stores that offer products related to hobbies, leisure activities and well-being. An enriching array that will also offer a fresh approach,” says Feidt, without revealing everything about the commercial offering to come for all that.

The planned openings include two snack bars with different offerings to appeal to a diverse customer base. A terrace will also be set up on the forecourt, level with the current main entrance. A shop offering decorative products and another focusing on sports products are also expected. The installation of a chocolatier has not been ruled out.

A florist and gardener and a restaurant will also be set up inside the greenhouse. “It won’t be just another restaurant. We’re banking on a more innovative concept, something we’re not yet familiar with in Luxembourg. This location will be one of the highlights of Scilla’s. This space will become an oasis offering a high quality of life and therefore respite. With its large terrace, Scilla’s is destined to become the popular meeting place in this new district,” enthuses Feidt.

In the basement, on the Rangwee tunnel side, the Lecuit photography shop will move in during May. The hairdressing salon still in the basement will be taken over by another hairdresser, and a beauty salon is due to open next door. Meanwhile, Fressnapf and Tonic Food are continuing to operate. All the shops are due to open gradually from June, with a hoped-for full opening in September 2025.

But before that, a few adjustments are required, including refurbishment work and the installation of partitions in the vast space formerly occupied by the Hobbi to create separate retail cells. There will also be a need to rethink the flow of traffic inside the refurbished building. “We are still waiting for authorisation to start the work,” explains Feidt. Once it has been obtained, the work will take around six months. To date, not all the planned cells have found takers, and the Feidt family is not ruling out other installations than those already envisaged.

Fitting work has already begun on the outside. The building will eventually be covered in greenery to improve its aesthetic appeal and better integrate it into the landscape. “With the completion of the new N3, work on which is nearing completion, and the tramway coming into service last summer, as well as the proximity of the Cloche d’Or and the hype district of Bonnevoie, soft accessibility will enable this urban space to achieve a new level of quality of life,” Feidt hopes.

This article was originally published in .