Credit: ©Kaell Architectes Elmës Agency Areal Landscape Architecture Jean Reitz

On Tuesday 6 June 2023, the political leaders of the City of Luxembourg and the representatives of the Institute of History of the University of Luxembourg (IHIST) presented the scientific work "Mansfeld revisited” and announced the five projects selected for the second phase of the European idea competition pertaining to the Mansfeld site rehabilitation.

Following the scientific symposium L’ancien château « La Fontaine » et son parc à Luxembourg-Clausen, which took place from 28 February to 1 March 2022 at the Cercle Cité around the theme of the Château de Mansfeld and its surroundings, the book « Mansfeld revisited - L’ancien château de « La Fontaine » et son parc à Luxembourg-Clausen. État de la recherche et perspectives d’avenir » (Mansfeld Revisited – The old La Fontaine castle and its park in Luxembourg Clausen, state of research and future perspectives, available in French and German) was written under the direction of the Urban Planning Department of the City of Luxembourg in close collaboration with Martin Uhrmacher of the IHIST.

The symposium’s main objective was to analyse and synthesise the contributions of nationally and internationally renowned specialists with the aim of integrating them into specifications allowing Luxembourg City to isolate the possibilities of using and enhancing the old castle, its gardens and the historical heritage of the Mansfeld site in the near future, based on the current state of historical, archaeological and architectural research.

In November 2022, the City of Luxembourg launched the European ideas competition through which it aimed to highlight and reactivate the Mansfeld site, located in Luxembourg-Clausen. The competition’s main missions included the enhancement of this unique historical site, the optimisation of the district in general and its green and built spaces and the implementation of a public and inclusive programme.

The name of the Mansfeld site refers to Count Pierre-Ernest de Mansfeld (1517 - 1604) who built the "La Fontaine” castle there in the 16th century, alongside a sumptuous garden and a game park. Over the centuries, the site’s fragmentation and urbanisation continued. Following castle’s gradual demolition, the site and the district of Clausen in general became renowned for its horticulture, its brasseries with terraces and its baths. At the turn of the 21st century, remains of the castle, the bathhouse, an artificial grotto and fountains were discovered and a new interest in the area emerged (which also crystallised within the founded “Association des Amis du Château de Mansfeld”, an association concerned with the castle’s renovation).

In 1991, the municipal council of the City of Luxembourg provisionally approved the general development project known as "Joly", approved in 1994. This decision represented the first step in the heritage protection of the land and estate remnants which the City had gradually bought since the 1980s, and which are classified as protected monuments and sites. Municipal heritage protection continues under the regulations in force since 2017.

Also in 1994, in continuity of this municipal heritage protection and in collaboration with the National Institute for Architectural Heritage (INPA, former Service des Sites et Monuments Nationaux), the City chose to include the Mansfeld site and the suburb of Clausen in the area of the old quarters and fortifications of the city of Luxembourg submitted for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in December 1994.

From 2015, the City took charge of the extensive and complete heritage studies of its land. In 2017, Luxembourg City thus inaugurated Mansfeld park and in 2018, the Luxembourg government classified part of the site as national cultural heritage. Nowadays, the excavations continue, while the remains found are protected and in the programme of the competition of ideas, it is planned to make them accessible to the public.

The scientific symposium held in 2022 served as the basis for defining the missions and guidelines of the ideas competition. Seven fundamental guidelines emerged from the analyses and served as a framework for the ideas competition, namely: heritage landscape; protection of remnants; Linden Alley; the Mansfeld circuit; an urban orchard; Mansfeld-les-Bains; a living neighbourhood.

In addition, the importance of an urban planning approach (architecture, landscape, programming, etc.) was highlighted, to ensure that aspects of mobility, environment, relationship and complementarity with other districts of the capital are addressed during the development of the future project.

The jury is made up of members of the college of mayors and aldermen, representatives of the Architects Department and the Department of Municipal Planning and Urban Development, the national institute for architectural heritage (L'Institut national pour le patrimoine architectural - INPA), the National Institute of Archeological Research (INRA), the Order of Architects and Consulting Engineers (Ordre des Architectes et des Ingénieurs-Conseils - OAI), the Public Building Administration and five national and international experts in the history of gardens, heritage protection and archeology.

In accordance with the rules of the competition, five national or international multidisciplinary teams qualified for the second round of the competition after the members of the jury had carried out a precise analysis of all the projects.

  • Becker Architecture & Urbanism (Luxembourg)
  • Fabeck Architects (Luxembourg)
  • Kaell Architect (Luxembourg) + Elmēs Agency (Belgium)
  • Temperature extremes Arquitectos (Spain)
  • Urban Agency + Binario Architects (Danemark/Belgium)

During the last jury session in May 2023, and as also specified in the competition rules, two projects were selected from the last five projects: the team composed of Kaell architect - Elmēs Agency - AREAL - Jean Reitz was able to convince the jury with the "Logis Mansfeld" project, and the team formed by Agency + Binario Architectes - IN SITU Landscapes & Urbanism - The Impact Lab also succeeded in convincing the jury thanks to the many advantages of its "Renaissance de Mansfeld" project.

In the context of an exhibition, residents of the Clausen district, as well as all interested individuals, are invited to consult the five projects and to give their opinions on the two selected projects "Logis Mansfeld" and "Renaissance de Mansfeld". The exhibition will take place at luca - Luxembourg Center for Architecture, from Tuesday 6 June to Friday 16 June 2023 (1, rue de la Tour Jacob, L-1831 Grund-Luxembourg; open Tuesday to Friday, from 14:00 to 17:00). The summary of this consultation will then be taken into consideration during the future development of the projects selected in this phase of the competition.