The time has come to showcase the achievements of the final category of the Luxembourg Architecture Award. Led by committed architects, artists, researchers and designers, these projects explore the challenges of memory, urban transformation, housing and citizen participation, whilst opening up new perspectives for envisioning the city of tomorrow.

Project 1: “Réparer la Villa Kutter”

With “Réparer la Villa Kutter”, architect Diane Heirend offers an exemplary reflection on the restoration of built heritage. The result of extensive historical research, the project favours a measured and delicate approach that respects the building’s evolution without erasing its original identity.

This relatively new approach to architectural reuse demonstrates that it is possible to transform a building whilst respecting its history and context. A book documenting the entire process was published in 2024. The project was carried out for the Grand Ducal Institute, Arts and Letters Section, under the leadership of Lucien Kayser.

Project 2: “La Cité transparente”

In “La Cité transparente”, the director and visual artist Yann Tonnar reinterprets nine historic lithographs of Luxembourg by Jean-Baptiste Fresez and Jean-Nicolas Bernard by superimposing them onto contemporary photographs taken from the same vantage points.

This juxtaposition of the past and present offers an original and striking interpretation of the urban, social and identity-related transformations of the capital. Through this work, the viewer discovers the many layers that make up the city’s memory. The project was commissioned by the Dräi Eechelen Museum, where it is now on permanent display. Well worth a visit – and perhaps worth considering.

Project 3: Christian Aschman’s photographic assignment

Commissioned by the Kirchberg Fund, the photographic project, led by Christian Aschman between 2022 and 2023, documents the ongoing transformation of the Kirchberg Plateau area. Over the course of more than 50 photographic sessions carried out over the course of a year, the artist captured unique perspectives from the rooftops of the neighbourhood, revealing the geometry of its architecture, its landscapes and its history, shaped by layers and transformations.

Choosing this project means celebrating the creation of a book enriched by texts by Gauthier Bolle, Martine Hemmer and Félicie Weycker, as well as an exhibition at the Luca (Luxembourg Centre for Architecture).

Project 4: “Our New Housing – An Invitation to Cooperate”

Designed by the architect and researcher Céline Zimmer, in collaboration with Exutoire, the exhibition “Our New Housing – An Invitation to Cooperate” explores the potential of housing cooperatives as a serious and sustainable response to the housing crisis in Luxembourg. Drawing on doctoral research, it draws on international examples, historical precedents and participatory approaches capable of producing innovative forms of housing.

Commissioned by the Luca, the exhibition also aims to stimulate public debate and encourage the emergence of new cooperatives through the “For Future Members Only” platform. It certainly deserves our support.

Project 5: “S^^^h Opera”

Developed by the collectives 2001, Mutiny on the Bounty and Civic, “S^^^h Opera” reinvents architectural representation by transforming it into an immersive performance. Created to mark the opening of the Schluechthaus, the project combines historical narratives, urban analyses, archives, data and visual projections into a collective, real-time experience.

Animated maps, speculative images and sound installations come together to offer a dynamic interpretation of a constantly evolving site and to sketch out its possible futures. The project was commissioned by the City of Luxembourg, with the support of the Municipal Archives and the City of Luxembourg’s Photo Library.

Project 6: “Sonic Investigations”

What if architecture were listened to as much as it is looked at? With “Sonic Investigations”, architects Valentin Bansac, Mike Fritsch and Alice Loumeau present an immersive experience that explores sound as a tool for interpreting the landscape. Presented at the Luxembourg Pavilion during the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale, this delightful project invites visitors to discover the country through an original sound installation by Ludwig Berger.

By combining architecture, research and sound design, the trio opens up new ways of understanding the transformations taking place in our landscapes. Voting for “Sonic Investigations” means supporting an innovative approach that renews the way we look at – or rather, listen to – the landscape.

Project 7: “The Architecture of Dreams: Work of Rita Wolff”

In “The Architecture of Dreams”, architect and researcher Hamed Khosravi sheds light on the fascinating work of the Luxembourgish artist Rita Wolff. Through extensive research, archival work and analysis, the project reveals the links between the artist’s surrealist world and architecture, particularly through her collaboration with Léon Krier. This account is all the more valuable and moving given that the artist, though still alive, no longer practises her art.

Carried out with the support of several leading international institutions, this study helps to preserve and promote an artistic heritage that remains all too little known. Voting for “The Architecture of Dreams” is a way of recognising exemplary research, underpinned by selfless dedication, which enriches our understanding of Luxembourg’s cultural and architectural history.

Vote now for your favourite project on the Luxembourg Architecture Award (LAA) website: architectureaward.lu/the-nominees/.