Esch-Sur-Azlette, Luxembourg

Arcelor Pavilion

Centennial Pavilion in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the City of Esch-Sur-Azlette

This project has developed, as an exhibition space for the centenary of the city of Esch-Sur-Azlette in Luxemburg.

The pavilion will be used as an art gallery after the exhibition. Arcelor is known as one of the most important steel companies in the world. The company was founded in this small city, which is situated in the south of Luxemburg. The growth and development of the city has been strongly related to that of the company. The project takes as its starting point images of the growth and geometry of the site.

The pavilion is situated between a park pathway and a wild part (re-naturing) of the new centenary park. The pavilion is situated (or extended by the pavilion itself) on an important axis of the city.

Our first image of the space was to raise it from the earth and have it take shape as an extended pass of the park. This image helped us to make connections between some points of the park and by so doing allows us to offer a small public space under the main space of the pavilion. At the same time it solves the problem of humid land and creates gravitation between elements of the city. This first image has been transformed and operated on by geometry, which we created from the invisible structure of the relation between landscape and urbanscapes and images of the past and future times of the city-railways for. These images consisted of minerals, chimneys, fabrics, small houses, church with little ornaments, trees and their swinging shades, rain, grass and wild rose.

Finally the movement of this lifted pathway generates some patios, which helps to create a certain ambiguity in the relation between interior and exterior.

Each patio will be covered with brilliant colours. Their hues are like fabric to other colours. They will give a sense of vibration to peoples passing through these patios and exhibition space. These patios colours appear on the façade of the pavilion. Colours are a power against the gravity. It is a kind of lightness. So colours are useful materials for giving livening the sense and creating a playful feeling as seen in children.

CREDITS

Architects: Benedetta Tagliabue (Miralles Tagliabue EMBT)

Project leader: Makoto Fukuda (Miralles Tagliabue EMBT)

Collaborators: Nancy Chidiac, Morten Engel, Mariano Castillo, Gaele Cabessa, Gabriele Rotelli, Guile Amadeu, Aaron Beasley, Marco Orozco, José Angel Ramon, Michela Cicuta, Maria Chiara Ziliani, Andrea Pagliarulo, Seth Wilson, Verónica Valeros, Andrew J.Yalcin, Eulalia Marisma, Steven Fuhrman, Lythia Xynogala, Carlos Sarmiento, Catalina Montaña (Miralles Tagliabue EMBT)

Architects on site: Stefano Moreno (Moreno Architeture)

Engineer Structure General: Walter de Toffol (INCA Ingénieurs Conséils Associés)

Tecnic Colaborator: Pierre Engel (Arcelor Building & Construction Support)

Client: Arcelor

Contractor: Queck