The Twist building has been under construction for three years. Developed by Atenor and designed by STDM architectes-urbanistes, this mixed-use project comprises 36 residential units, shops and offices. A total of 23,100m2 has been built. The office building has five floors and a total surface area of 8,985m2. It was purchased by the state (law passed in July 2023), which decided to locate Statec and the National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) there. It is complemented by an interior courtyard and two roof gardens. The façade is clad in terra cotta and aluminium.
‘House of Data Science’
The move of all the Statec teams to 12 Boulevard du Jazz (lot 46 in Central Square) is scheduled for early October. The CNDP will be joining the administrative teams. “We are neighbours with the University of Luxembourg and its various ‘houses.’ This will be a kind of 'House of Data Science,’” says Serge Allegrezza. The Statec director, who will retire at the end of October, who saw the project through to the end.
The interior fittings were designed by Proworks Design & Build. Employee well-being was a guiding principle throughout the project, especially as the building is Well and Breeam certified. All the spaces are designed to enable hybrid and flexible working, while complying with public standards. One of the challenges was to provide teams with an environment that encouraged collaboration, whereas staff had previously been housed in closed offices.
Comfort and harmony
It’s worth noting that this project skilfully combines aesthetics and efficiency. The concept developed combines comfort, harmony and diversity. The choice of colours is reminiscent of Corten steel, with a chic range of rusty tones that evoke the site's industrial past. In addition to the interior fittings, Proworks has also worked on interior signage to give the spaces a clear identity.
On the ground floor, there is a vast double-height hall with a reception desk that precedes informal meeting areas in the form of small lounges, as well as closed, acoustically isolated meeting areas. These modules can be used by freelance interviewers to interview people without having to go upstairs. There is also a corner library overlooking the street. It is in visual contact with the activity of passers-by thanks to the large bay windows, and is accessible to researchers and the public.
On the first floor, there are also rooms for receiving the public and guests. This is where you’ll find a very large meeting room, fully equipped with audiovisual equipment, which can also be divided in two as needed. It is complemented by a 36-seat training room in the form of a small amphitheatre that can be used for in-house training, external meetings, business seminars, etc.
Offices designed for well-being
The upper floors are occupied by offices. The layout is virtually identical from one level to the next, with a central circulation hub, workstations along the façades and meeting rooms and printing corners in the central area. The teams are divided between small open spaces and closed individual offices. The open spaces consist of islands of four people. Particular attention has been paid to acoustics, which have been improved with carpeted floors and acoustic panels on the walls. All workstations have height-adjustable desks. Everywhere, green plants help to visually separate the open spaces. The meeting rooms are laid out in a variety of ways, with round tables, high tables and chairs, or more informal open spaces in the form of small lounges in the corridors. Each floor also has a team kitchen and several coffee corners.
The fifth and last floor is the management floor. It has a vast meeting room, with a large U-shaped table, extended by a discussion area with sofas and coffee tables. In fine weather, a generous landscaped terrace is accessible and furnished with a long table and benches, a high table and an outdoor lounge.
The building is highly energy-efficient and has photovoltaic panels on the roof (producing a maximum of 46.2 KWP) and a rainwater collection system. Inside, the ceilings are active and reversible. The lighting has automatic dimming and an absence detector, while the temperature is monitored by zone for optimum comfort. The EPC achieves ABA classes. The overall cost of the project is €62.6m.
This article was originally published in French.
