Kiosk Parcs de la Pétrusse
With a simple gesture, the new kiosk occupies a striking position in the newly designed park landscape of the Pétrusse Valley. It manages the balancing act of creating conciseness in its location without disturbing the imposing effect of the natural backdrop in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luxembourg's historic city centre.
In keeping with the numerous pointed roofs in the neighbourhood, the pavilion grows upwards, but remains extremely sparse in its spatial depth and thus develops a striking, slender profile. Similar to the main path following the Pétrusse, the elongated structure is positioned along the access route and provides an unobstructed view across the valley.
The Pétrusse runs through the middle of Luxembourg City in the valley of the same name. A unique natural backdrop with a good 40m difference in altitude and a steeply rising rock massif. The Bockfels, which is also part of the historic fortifications, together with the adjoining districts of the Upper and Lower Town, forms the area of Luxembourg's Old Town, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The valley is home to the Parcs de la Pétrusse, an urban recreational area that was restructured for LUGA 2025. At the heart of the project is the renaturation of the Pétrusse, which was previously largely piped or in a concrete bed and can now be experienced again as an element of the park. In addition to the renaturation of the Pétrusse, the main aim was to open up the view through the valley, logically following the course of the river. The kiosk nestles up against the rock massif and is extremely narrow at just under 12 m long and 3 m deep. With its shape, the projecting canopy and the generous glass front, it is clearly oriented towards the park landscape and the river, but at the same time opens up the path and the view.
The central idea of the kiosk is the open flap as an inviting welcoming gesture. It clearly defines the front of the building and marks the opening as an interaction with the park landscape. It is based on the basic geometric shape of the circle. The section, radius and angle define the parts of the building accordingly, while at the same time creating the association of a pivot joint. Taking up the idea of an uninterrupted view, the idea of a slender structure was developed as a one-room solution. A functional back accommodates building services, storage and sanitary facilities, while a continuous counter front creates interaction with park visitors. Together with the construction space of the wall thicknesses and the central movement area, this creates the minimal building depth. The significant difference between the height of the eaves and the ridge supports the spatial definition of a front and rear and creates a very unusual interior space.
Luxembourg's old town is adorned with a roof landscape covered almost entirely in slate, which can also be experienced visually from the view from the upper to the lower town. Just like the shape of the pitched roof, the wooden shingle locates the kiosk in its surroundings. The change of material from slate to wood also expresses its younger birthdate and the kiosk is coming of age. The resulting patina, from the natural wood tone to the silver graying, also blends seamlessly into the backdrop of the rock massif. The wooden shingles are natural without any additional surface treatment or chemical wood protection. Like the solid wood walls, the wood fiber insulation boards are also made from natural, renewable raw materials. All above-ground components are reversibly joined and can be dismantled according to type. Terrazzo in the interior guarantees a robust and virtually wear-free floor.
