Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0225/02250.txt

Text File | 1991-06-25 | 25KB | 476 lines

$Unique_ID{COW02250}
$Pretitle{427}
$Title{Luxembourg
Part 2.}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Information and Press Service}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Luxembourg, Washington DC}
$Subject{luxembourg
hall
town
war
palace
building
monument
national
bridge
cathedral}
$Date{1989}
$Log{}
Country:     Luxembourg
Book:        A Brief Survey of the City of Luxembourg
Author:      Information and Press Service
Affiliation: Embassy of Luxembourg, Washington DC
Date:        1989

Part 2.

The Court of Justice of the European Communities

     The building of the Court of Justice of the European Communities,
inaugurated in January 1973, stands on the Kirchberg Plateau in Luxembourg,
site of the European Institutions. The contract was awarded by the Government
of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in collaboration with the Ministry of Public
Works and the Department of Public Buildings.

     The five-floor building covers an area of somme 10,000 m^2, its grounds
being five hectares in extent, of uneven formation with tree growth in
perspectives which enhance its contemporary look.

     The conception was inspired jointly by three young architects, Mr.
Jean-Paul Conzemius, Luxembourg, Mr. Francis Jamagne, Belgium and Mr. Michel
Van der Elst, Belgium, who were awarded prizes by an international jury at an
architectural competition.

     The idea of the architects was to embody the up-to-date concept of
progressive, thoughtful, integrated jurisprudence in a concrete symbol. The
setting, general symmetry proportions and style as well as the austere
materials themselves, were consistently subordinated to this single purpose.

     The building is erected on a raised base in the centre of a tiled plaza
matching the tone of the structure it anchors to the grounds. These have been
managed with a concern for blending the edifice with a background whose
vistas tend to mitigate its unrelenting severity.

     The natural contours of the terrain are disciplined by terracing with
retaining walls of wood the selection of local trees and bushes surrounding
the construction shall in the years to come reconcile man's handiwork with
that of nature. Modern sculptures by Henry Moore and Lucien Wercollier add a
touch of beauty to the close surroundings.

     The visible skeleton as well as all other features making up the
frontages are of "COROX" steel, an alloy produced by S.A. ARBED from a basis
of steel, copper, chrome and nickel which is selfprotective against corrosion.
The corrosion particle forming on the surface stabilizes after one to three
years. This leaves a pleasing bronze-brown tint which lasts and improves with
age and the metal will never require any attention.

     In designing the interior layout the architects have endeavoured to
express a singleness of conception in harmony with the dominant structural
features. The front doors face the main staircase which leads up to the heart
of the building, consisting of three Court rooms. On the same floor there is
public access to the office of the Clerk of the Court on the left, and to the
Library on the right. The third floor, over the Court rooms, is reserved for
the President and members of the Court. It receives the daylight filtered
through a gallery with decorative plants.

     The Contract-awarding Authority and the Court of Justice have jointly
sought the cooperation of artists from the six founding members of the
European Community to add a yet more graceful note to this bold and
challenging functional edifice.

     It should be noted also that the new building was from the outset
designed to accommodate new Members without inconvenience or prejudice to the
comfort and pleasing surroundings provided for the benefit of members of the
Court of Justice of the European Communities and for their staffs.

The Grande-Duchesse Charlotte Bridge

     The Kirchberg plateau is linked to the town centre by the Grande-Duchesse
Charlotte bridge.

     The main purpose of the new bridge was to serve the needs of a European
district intended to accommodate its Institutions, and to complete a road
network in accordance with the Geneva Declaration of the 16th October 1950
concerning international traffic itineraries.

     The new Grande-Duchesse Charlotte bridge is the result of an
international tender competition launched in 1957,to which 37 firms in eight
countries responded with 70 offers, submitted on the 1st March 1958. The final
decision came down in favour of the present bridge with twin supports,
designed and submitted by Messrs. Rheinstahl-Union-Bruckenbau of Dortmund,
Messrs. Socol of Brussels and Messrs J. Think of Differdange. Work was begun
on the 20th August 1962.

     Under the law of the 7th August 1961 the project was carried out under
the auspices of the Kirchberg Plateau Town Planning Fund. The civil
engineering operations began on the 20th April 1962. The Grande-Duchesse
Charlotte bridge was opened to traffic on the 24th October 1966.

     The erection of this bridge, a very bold undertaking, was begun from the
town side only, by putting into place nine provisional metal supports. The
height of the bridge over the valley it spans is 85 m the distance between
the twin supports is 234 m, the total length 355 m and the width 25 m. The
twin supports are about 40 m high the bridge consists of 108 metal pieces
the total weight of the metal structure is 4,800 tons.

The Grand-Ducal Palace

     Considered as an architectural and historic monument, the Grand-Ducal
Palace consists of three distinct parts, erected at periods spanning fairly
long intervals. The portion most valuable from the viewpoint of the history of
art dates from the XVIth century. This is the part between the wrought iron
railings facing north and the carriage entrance facing south, where the main
entrance to the Palace now is. This section was built in 1572/73 on the orders
of Pierre Ernest de Mansfeld, Governor of the Duchy of Luxembourg from 1545.
The architect who drew up the plans is not known it was the Town Mayor who
entrusted the master builder Adam Roberti with their execution.

     The Palace has a Renaissance-style frontage. The themes of the friezes
between floors and windows known as "macrame" testify to a Spanish-Moorish
influence. This portion of the Palace as a whole has remained unchanged for
four centuries except for the balustrade, which was originally of stone this
was replaced by the present wrought iron balustrade in 1741. The building was
used as a Town Hall. It stands on the site of the first Town Hall which had
been built at an unknown date, probably after the affranchizement of the city
by the countess Ermesinde in 1244.

     The old building had been destroyed by a gunpowder explosion in 1554,
which caused extensive damage in the town.

     The 16th century Town Hall was enlarged in the 18th century. New parts
were added in 1741 and in 1780: the Weights and the Belfry, and this extended
to about as far as the site of the present Parliament building.

     This 18th century edifice was replaced in 1891 by the "French
Renaissance"-style enlargement which is there now the order was given by the
Grand Duke Adolphe, according to plans drawn up by the Brussels architect
Bordiau.

     The civil guard met in the former Town Hall on the ground floor. The
coats-of-arms on the vault of the main hall date from the period and the
leaded glass windows bear the coats-of-arms of members of the ecclesiastical
and noble estate of the ancient Duchy. Next to this hall was the porter's
lodge, the prison and the "poids banal" or municipal weighing scales.

     The upper floors accommodated the conference halls of the Chamber of the
Lords, the Mayor and the estates of the Duchy. On the first floor there was a
small chapel and on the second, the thirteen guilds met occasionally.

     When Luxembourg was taken by the French in 1795, the Duchy of Luxembourg
was converted into the "Department of Forests". The Town Hall became the
Headquarters of the Prefecture, and so remainded till