ICÔNE is a new office complex being developed near the Luxembourg-France border. Credit: Foster + Partners.
The building is designed to achieve the BREEAM Excellent rating. Credit: Foster + Partners.
ICÔNE is designed as two wings covering the central atrium. Credit: Foster + Partners.
The building is scheduled to be completed in 2022. Credit: Foster + Partners.

ICÔNE is a new office complex being developed by BESIX Real Estate Development (BESIX RED) in Belval, Luxembourg. The collaborative office space will reflect the rich industrial heritage of the region and support the development of its surroundings.

The project will integrate co-working spaces and collaborative offices, making them flexible to meet the evolving nature of workplaces.

The 18,800m² building with a height of 30m will feature a flexible layout to provide a safe working environment for 1,200 professionals.

ICÔNE will be among the first few developments in the country to meet the BREEAM International New Construction 2016 certification standards. The building aims to achieve the BREEAM Excellent rating and WELL Building Standard® certification.

The project will be connected to the smart city of the future with the incorporation of the latest technological innovations in construction, as well as the working environment, allowing the building to adapt with the changing needs in future.

The design for the building was unveiled in October 2018. The commercial development project broke ground in June 2020 and is expected to be completed by 2022.

Location of ICÔNE

The ICONE project is located on the Luxembourg-France border, in the heart of Europe.

The building is being built on Lot 9 in Esch-sur-Alzette, bounded by Porte de France on its eastern end and the Place de l’Académie to the west.

ICÔNE design details

The ICÔNE will reserve 3,000m² for co-working spaces and 800m² for restaurants, shops and similar facilities.

The building will create a green light-filled atrium in the centre to form a social and environmental hub”.

The office complex is designed to cater to the requirements of safety, comfort and flexibility for its occupants, with a focus on energy efficiency.

The building will create a green light-filled atrium in the centre to form a social and environmental hub. The atrium will include a series of stepped terraces in response to the level changes between the street and plaza.

The building is designed as two wings covering the central atrium, enclosed by a unique orthogonal façade and roof to accentuate the structural grid and provide an overall industrial look to the complex. The iconic Belval blast furnace will be the central focus of the view from the atrium.

The entrances will be recessed at both ends while the façade across the entrances will be articulated differently than the street and plaza. The building façade is designed to provide internal column-free office spaces with improved internal daylight and solar shading features.

The interiors will display fluidity in contrast to the formal exterior design. The open circulation will create a vibrant internal space, including communal terraces for gatherings and break out spaces with a view of the central volume. The indoor greenery will be visible through punched volumes intersecting the gridded structure.

The western edge of the building will include shops while the eastern edge will have cafés and restaurants on the ground floor.

The complex will have three basements with 237 parking spaces, bike bays and electric vehicle charging points.

Offices at ICÔNE

The ICÔNE goes beyond a traditional office set-up to provide a range of spaces suitable for smaller companies, as well as to serve as the headquarters of a single tenant. Companies can also choose between a co-working area or conventional working area.

The workspaces are designed with a focus on flexibility and modularity. These will be adjustable to the tenant’s working style and customisable as per their needs for ergonomics, comfort and efficiency.

The office areas will be conditioned by a partial hot-cold reversible false ceiling, which will be integrated with technical bands to accommodate the lights, ventilation outlets, detectors, and sprinkler heads.

Contractors involved

The complex has been designed by Foster+Partners while Beiler François Fritsch is the collaborating architect for the project.

Q-Build Luxembourg was contracted to serve as the quantity surveyor. Greisch Luxembourg is the lighting and environmental engineer.

NEY will provide services for structural engineering. SECO EXPERT was appointed to provide assistance in developing a fire safety concept for the project.