Credit: Ievgenii Karanov, Chronicle.lu
On Tuesday 29 September 2026, Eiffage Real Estate Luxembourg held a foundation stone ceremony for Idesya, its mixed-use real estate development located on Place des Bassins in the Square Mile district of Esch-Belval.
The event brought together around 60 guests, including Luxembourg’s Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning Claude Meisch and Sanem Mayor Simone Asselborn-Bintz, as well as representatives of Eiffage, Agora, the Société Nationale des Habitations à Bon Marché (SNHBM) and other project partners.
Idesya comprises 129 apartments across three residences, 80 of which have been acquired off-plan by the Luxembourg State. The remaining 49 apartments form part of the Chantehaut residence.
Opening the ceremony, Thierry Collard, CEO of Eiffage Real Estate Belgium & Luxembourg, thanked those involved in the development of the project and welcomed the future owner-occupiers present at the event. “It is a real source of pride for us and a real pleasure to welcome you at this key moment, the laying of the foundation stone of the Idesya project,” he said.
“With Idesya, a new step is being taken. This project contributes to strengthening the diversity and vitality of the district through a combination of housing, workspaces and other functions that will help create a balanced and pleasant urban environment,” said Simone Asselborn-Bintz. She stressed that this mix is essential for the municipality, noting that a neighbourhood comes to life when people of different generations, backgrounds and circumstances can live, work, study and meet there on a daily basis.
“It is important because we are moving from a concept that we have been developing for many years to its implementation, and that is essential,” said Agora Director General Yannick Quevedo. He also highlighted the significance of Idesya’s location at Place des Bassins, noting its role in reflecting the identity and heritage of Belval, and stressed the importance of cooperation between the municipality, the State, developers and partners such as the SNHBM in delivering projects of this scale.
Guy Entringer, Director General of the SNHBM, noted that the Luxembourg State is acquiring 80 apartments in Idesya, which will subsequently be managed by one of the country's two public housing developers. Referring to two other projects in which the State has also acquired housing, he added: “Apart from the 80 here, this gives us a total of 166 affordable homes, all around the Square Mile. These are a lot of new homes for the SNHBM.”
According to Guy Entringer, these acquisitions, together with projects developed by the SNHBM itself, are expected to increase its rental housing stock from the current 664 units to around 1,300 within the next two to three years. He added that the housing would be available not only to lower-income tenants but also to households up to the fifth income decile, which he said would contribute to greater social diversity in the neighbourhood.
Christophe Van Ophem, CEO of Eiffage Construction BeLux, described Idesya as the result of cooperation between the public and private sectors in addressing Luxembourg’s housing needs. “What we are celebrating today is not simply a residence with 129 homes. It is above all the result of exemplary collaboration between the private and public sectors,”he said. He added that future residents would benefit from large terraces, suspended gardens, triple-A energy performance and a participatory concierge service, with delivery of the project scheduled for October 2028.
“The State is investing. The State is investing in expanding its stock of public rental housing in order to become a more important player in the Luxembourg market, because we know that, particularly at present, we need housing, we need affordable housing where every person and every family can live in Luxembourg,” said Minister Meisch.
He noted that the State has signed or reserved around 860 housing units for a total investment of €480 million. Minister Meisch added that the government had allocated a further €300 million to sign or reserve around 500 additional housing units, with the aim of supporting the construction and real estate sectors while increasing the supply of affordable housing. He also highlighted Belval’s role as a sustainable centre in the south of the country, combining housing, employment, leisure, education and research, and stressed the importance of cooperation between public and private actors in delivering new housing.
Developed by Eiffage Real Estate Luxembourg, built by Perrard and designed by Dietrich Untertrifaller Architekten and BFF, Idesya also includes retail premises, office spaces and 154 parking spaces. The project incorporates green roofs, photovoltaic panels, a connection to the Sudcal district heating network and triple glazing.
The speeches were followed by the symbolic laying of the foundation stone, after which guests gathered for a reception.
