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Issue 20

10 January 2013

1

De bijzondere vomrentaal van een bijzondere architect: René van Zuuk

François Valentiny, Luxembourg : painter, sculptor, and ’musical’ architect

François Valentiny (59) was born in 1953 in the idyllic

surroundings of Remerschen (South Luxembourg).

Father carpenter, grandfather carpenter. Growing up

between wood makers, he learned to value the impor-

tance and knowledge of true artisans. Blessed with ar-

tistry François developed himself as architect, painter,

and sculptor. A ‘musical’, or rather cultural architect,

who loves operas; a man who was to build and recon-

struct several musical and cultural buildings in his later

years. Was it the scent of the wooden wine barrels of his

grandfather in this youth that, many years later, made

him to design and reconstruct several wine cellars?

François Valentiny lives and works still in the grounds of

the house where he was born and grew up. He studied

architecture between 1975 and 1980 in Nancy and Vien-

na. In 1987 he became partner of Hubert Hermann

(together they founded the office Hermann & Valentiny

in Austria and Luxembourg). A few years ago their part-

nership ended.

Luxembourg Expo Pavillion 2010 - Shanghai

The statue “Gëlle Fra” (Golden Lady) - a national

treasure - from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

has been placed at the top of a three-metre-tall steel

column at the entrance to the Luxembourg Pavilion.

“Does size really matter?”

G.G. Kirchner, partner of Valentiny Archi-

tects, stresses the fact that a small country

like Luxembourg is often overlooked by

other countries. Kirchner:”When in 2008

we were designing the Luxembourg pavili-

on for Shanghai, people suggested that we

adopt the motto, a variant of the saying:

”Small is beautiful too.” This novel ap-

proach allowed the Luxembourg pavilion to

attract quite a lot of attention at the biggest

EXPO of all time in China, where

nothing appears to be small.”

“Architecture is not intellectual. Creating architecture

means to work like a carpenter, a gardener, a cook.

Architecture means a revolt against the average.”

2

Below: Videoclip of Valenty Architects with projects, including

the Pavilion on the Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China, which won

the first prize. Music in this video: Fantasia On a Theme by

Thomas Tallis - The New Queen’s Hall Orchestra. Photo be-

low: ‘The Tower of Dreams and Longings’ in Trier (2003-2004).

A landmark by Valentiny Architects, more sculpture than archi-

tecture, more an art work than a building. An audacious, con-

temporary version of the towers built in San Gimignano.

“Drawings are the Mirrors of my Dreams.”

Photo below: The office of François Valentiny is

located in the inspiring surroudings of Remer-

schen, where 35 architects and engineers work

on international projects. Apart from his work as

an architect, François Valentiny teaches at the

Beijing De Tao Masters Academy.

The private studio of Valentiny in Remerschen: a study in

colour, form, light, glass and the beauty of the landscape.

Luxembourg Pavilion EXPO 2010, SHANGHAI

With the Luxembourg Pavilion for EXPO 2010

in Shanghai, Valentiny Architects has impressi-

vely demonstrated what a contemporary allian-

ce of architecture and art looks like. Valentiny

Architects won the competition for the Expo in

2010, where 40 international architects took

part. François Valentiny:”We seem to have hit a

nerve with this design. One must know that

Luxembourg does not have an independent,

own tradition. We have never had famous poets

or musicians. Maybe the pavilion is the begin-

ning of a Luxembourgian identity.”

3

Les Thermes in Strassen-Bertrange (Luxembourg):

the most innovative waterpark in Europe of 2010

At first sight, the futuristic swimming and leisure centre in Strassen-

Bertrange, looks like a flying saucer that has just landed in the open coun-

tryside. Its striking design is produced jointly by Atelier d’Architecture et

Design Jim Clemes, Witry & Witry and Valentiny Architects.

The municipalities of Stras-

sen and Bertrange had am-

bitious plans in 2002 when

they decided to set up the

swimming pool and leisure

centre “Les Thermes”. The

new building was intended

to provide a wide range of

swimming, sport and leisu-

re facilities under one roof.

They organised a design

competition for architects

for this project in 2004,

which was won by Valenti-

ny Architects with their stri-

king proposal, which also

won the 2012 Bauhäre

Preis of the OAI, the Order

of Architects and Consul-

ting Engineers of the Grand

Duchy of Luxembourg”).

Project Manager Axel Christmann of

Valentiny: the inspirator of the project

A large comunal leisure amenity set in the

landscape, easily reachable in terms of trans-

portation. The building is elliptical in plan, the

volume is like a flying saucer. Two of the zo-

nes inside the waterpark offer sports pools

and a whirlpool. The third area contains va-

rious sauna facilities and provides access to

a visually screened-off outdoor area.

A special choice of material had to be made

for the roof supports in view of the corrosive

chlorine– containing air rising from the pool

and the enormous span of the roof. Wood

was the only material that could meet the

high requirements. There are three swimming

areas, separated by broad relaxation zones,

with rich planting.

The urban planning setting of the site for this swim-

ming centre demanded a special architectural solution.

The inspiration for the design came from a cut-open

amethyst with its opaque outer surface and the extra-

ordinary vitality of its interior. The closed façade, which

screens the interior off from the industrial zone on one

side, gives little idea of what goes on inside the buil-

ding and invites a second glance. The ellipsoidal struc-

ture is open to the housing estate on the other side.

4

Música em Trancoso: Four idealists, one dream: a permanent cultural centre in Brazil

François Valentiny: an architect from

Luxembourg with a passion for Brazil

Four idealists got together in 2010 and

had one dream in common: to establish a

cultural centre and music festival in the

region of Bahia, in Trancoso, Brazil. Was

it intuition that brought them together?

Four idealists, one goal. Sabine Lovatelli,

the Musical Director of the festival and

the founder of the “Mozarteum Brasileiro”,

Carlos Eduardo Bittencourt, a talented

man, who fell in love with Trancoso 30

years, François Valentiny, a passionate

lover of music and one of the greatest ar-

chitects in the world and Reinold Geiger,

an international business man who has

always looked for new challenges. Fran-

cois Valentiny states:”Long time before I

projected and designed the Opera-festival

house in Salzburg, I met Sabine Lovatelli

in Austria. We visited her 5 years ago in

her house in Trancoso. I was very excited

about Brazil and its wonderful people.

Since this trip I have a passion for Brazil.

During this period we made the acquain-

tance of Dominique and Reinold Geiger

and Calé Bittencourt. After a special din-

ner, the festival ‘Música em Trancoso’

was born.”

François Valentiny is co-founder and co-sponsor of the

Brazilian Music Festival ’Música em Trancoso’, in the

region of Bahia. The festival, that started in 2012, is much

more than simply a superb classical music festival in an

idyllic spot on the Brazilian coast. It is a cultural event with

unique characteristics. ’Música em Trancoso’ offers free

concerts dedicated entirely to the appreciation of classical

music and making a contribution to the training of young

musicians. The eight-dayfestival for free classical and po-

pular music concerts, is a wonderful experience for the

people of Trancoso and foreign visitors. Over 200 musi-

cians, ranging from Brazilian youth orchestras to major

names in classical and contemporary Brazilian and inter-

national music came to Trancoso. The festival took

place in an auditorium for an amfitheatre, which is still

under construction. Eventually it will have a total capac-

ity of 2,200 seats in two autitoriums. François Valentiny:

“The building is half buried in the earth and contains two

concert halls. A covered and an open space, each one

with a stage for 120 musicians, an orchestra pit,

accommodation for the artists, technical rooms

and seating for 1,100 spectators. The design is

based on acoustic and visual parameters and

creates a new image for this area.”

The great success of the first edition in 2012 ma-

de it quite clear: Música em Trancoso was here

to stay. Also thanks to Roberta Lovatelli, who was

the operational coordinator of the festival in 2012.

Roberta Lovatelli embraces the happiness that

the festival brought into the hearts of all music

lovers. “It was a very rewarding experience to see

the smiles on the people’s faces when everything

turned out beautifully.” In 2013 the 2nd Festival

will be organised from 23 February until 2 March.

Contact details: Música em Trancoso

Rua do Telégrafo, 385

45818 - 000 - TRANCOSO– BRAZIL

Tel. 0055-73-36– 68 1487/2177

www.musicaemtrancoso.org.br

5

The House for Mozart is one of the venues for the Salzburg Festival. It has performed this function since 1925, but was only given its present name in 2006. It has mainly been used to put on operas and con-certs. Originally built as the royal stables, it became the first festival hall in 1925, and has been called the Small Festival Hall since 1960. It has been converted many times over the years. The sixth, and for the mo-ment the last, conversion took place in 2006 to mark the Mozart Year, the 250th anniversary of the com-poser’s birth, in 2006. The architects for the creation of the House of Mozart were Wilhelm Holzbauer and

François Valentiny, while the German artist Michael Hammers was entrusted with the task of designing and renovating the ’Golden Wall’ in the foyer. Mozart’s much loved opera ’The Marriage of Figaro’ was perfor-med during the festive opening of the building.

Ultramodern design by Valentiny Architects for new Beethoven Festival Hall in Bonn

Valentiny Architects has made an ultramodern design

for the proposed new Beethoven festival hall. Bonn

already has a Beethoven Hall, the third of that name,

built shortly after the end of World War II on the

banks of the Rhine. It is a listed monument and much

loved by many people. The design by Valentiny has

an ultramodern look and offers better acoustics and

lighting. With a scenic location on the Rhine Prome-

nade, it offers a large and a small auditorium. Futuris-

tic lighting and state-of-the-art acoustic towers allow

almost endless manipulation of the appearance of the

auditoria and the sound of the music.

House for Mozart - Salzburg “Das kleine Festspielhaus”

Holzbauer and Valentiny managed to square the circle by making the auditorium ten metres shorter while still leaving room for more seats, and vastly improving the acoustics. The upper area is articulated by three bronze doors sculp- ted by Josef Zenzmaier, and by five narrow, vertical rectangular areas of fixed glazing. François Valentiny is a ’musical’ architect who designed a number of concert halls and a highly talented costume and set designer. He explains:”Designing costumes and drawing sets for operas is a logical continuation of my work. These types of reflections supplement my architectural work. I created costumes for and theatre scenes for André Chenier, Samson and Dalila and Oedipus Rex.”

The municipal council of Bonn decided in Novem-

ber 2011 that the city should build a spectacular

new festival hall in 2020 to celebrate Beethoven’s

250th birthday. Bonn feels a special link with the

composer, since he was born in the city. Leading

architects from around the world entered the

competition to design the new festival hall. Valen-

tiny Architecs is one of the two candidates who

are still in the running with its ultramodern design

entitled “Die Wellen” (The Waves”).

6

Interior view of the KPMG building in Luxembourg

Basic Housing Project for the Shahe University Town in Beijging, China

Since 2011 François Valentiny has been a Master of Community Planning and Green Architectural

Design with The Beijing De Tao Masters Academy (DTMA) , a high-level, multi-disciplined, applica-

tion-oriented higher education institution in Shanghai, China. In that context he designed a Basic

Housing Project for the Shahe Univeristy Town in Beijing (photo below). De Tao Masters Academy

launched the Beijing Shahe University Town project in 2000, a project which echoes Beijing’s commit-

ment to “Revitalizing the Country with

Science and Technology.” The University

Town, covering 8 km² kilometres and com-

posed of educational, commercial and re-

sidential facilities, stands out in Beijing’s

new landscape. Its tenants include five

top universities of the country in different

fields, representing 80,000 students and

20,000 faculty members in total. DTMA

aims to collect the industrial wisdom of

the world, to congregate the World’s

leading masters, to nurture professional

elites for industries and to improve the

development of prosperous business.

adato architecture, the first Luxembourg magazi-ne for architects, celebrated its 10th anniversary François Valentiny founded this bilingual architec-tural journal together with GG Kirchner in 2002, and is still co-editor. Published in French and German, adato architecture appears quarterly in 4 different countries, Belgium, Germany, France and Luxem-bourg, and celebrated its tenth birthday in 2012. François Valentiny’s passion for architecture and for the medium of print was an important factor in the creation of the magazine. Unlike neighbouring coun-tries, Luxembourg had not had a platform for archi-tecture, so adato architecture met a real need. In its pages, renowned specialists from Luxembourg and abroad write interesting articles and leading archi-tects, engineers and businessmen give their point of view. Editorial Board: Prof. Ingeborg Flagge; Marie-Hélène Lukas, François Valentiny, Torsten Altmeyer, Oliver Arenz and G.G. Kirchner. For further information: E-mail: info@adato.lu Phone 00-352– 23 60 701

KPMG office building, Luxembourg

‘Sustainable Firm of the Year 2012’ Created by Valentiny Architects and constructed by

Felix Giorgetti sarl, the building’s striking design

and innovative external structure will take pride in

the Kirchberg business district. It is located at the

junction of Avenue John F. Kennedy and Boulevard

Konrad Adenauer. The architecture connects the

modernity of Luxembourg today with its industrial

history. The eye-catching outer structure, in an

arresting oxide red, will be constructed entirely of

weathering steel; a symbol of Luxembourg’s rich

ironworks past. Framed within the outer structure it

is the leading edge design of the building itself, with

a floor to ceiling glazed façade, a large atrium,

open reception areas and varied and innovative

meeting point areas. The structural design was

conceived with environmental and ecological fac-

tors in mind. Recently named Sustainable Firm of

the Year 2012 by International Accounting Bulletin,

KPMG hopes to ensure the building meets its high

expectations with regard to sustainability.

7

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Valentiny Architects

19, rue des Près

L-5441 REMERSCHEN

LUXEMBOURG

E-mail: office@hvp.lu

www.valentinyarchitects.com

University Library “La maison du livre” under construction at the

Science, Research and Innovation City in Esch-sur-Alzette Artist’s impression of the university library under construction in Esch-

sur-Alzette. Daniela Flor explains:”The new library is made of Cor-Ten

steel, which protects the building against rusting. François Valentigny

calls it a ‘stone-age hut’, placed in the middle of the big city, where it

blends in very well with its rural surroundings. It is located in Esch-Bel-

val, an old industrial area that will be transformed into a university

campus, with shops, restaurants, houses and a concert hall. The for-

mer steel works will become the university library. The old blast furna-

ces will be retained as modernist works of art. The steel skeleton of

the building will also be preserved, but will be covered by an innovati-

ve new skin made of composite and glass, using techniques taken

from boat-building and aerospace construction to give a completely

new interpretation of the old steel works.”

The future library “La maison du Livre” in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Architect and consulting engi-

neer Daniela Flor (41) is Project

Manager for the new university

library in Esch-sur-Alzette, due

to be completed in 2 years. She

studied architecture in Kaisers-

lautern, Germany, and has been

working for Valentiny Architects

for 14 years. Daniela is inspired

by working in a multinational

team, and is full of praise for

François Valentiny. “He is a

support and inspiration for all of

us. He encourages us to put

something new into every

design.”

Below: design for a Concert Hall in Wroclaw, Poland, 2005.