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François Valentiny from Luxembourg is a remarkable, musical architect, from Luxembourg, who is also a sculptor, a painter and a custume designer. A musical - or rather a cultural architect who loves opera, a man who has designed many buildings with a musical and cultural function. He is the co-founder and co-sponsor of the Brazilian Music Festival 'Música em Trancoso' in Bahia. Together with William Holzbauer he designed the Mozart Hose in Salzburg, Austria and at this moment his studio is one of the remaining candidates, after a tough competition, for the design of the Beethoven Festivall Hall in Bonn. Françops Valentiny: a worthy cultural ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
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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, musical architect
François Valentiny (59) was born in 1953 in the idyllic
surroundings of Remerschen in Luxembourg. His father
was a carpenter, so was his grandfather. Growing up in a
woodworking environment, he learned to appreciate the
skills and knowledge of the true artisan. The gift of artistry
led François to become an architect, painter and sculptor.
A musical - or rather a cultural - architect who loves
opera; a man who has designed many buildings with a
musical and cultural function in the later stages of his ca-
reer. Was it the smell of the wooden wine barrels he saw
his grandfather making when he was a boy that inspired
him to apply his skills to the construction of wine cellars
many years later?
François Valen-
tiny still lives
lives and works
in the grounds
of the house
where he was
born and grew
up. He studied
architecture
between 1975
and 1980 in
Nancy and
Vienna. In 1987
he set up Her-
mann & Valen-
tiny with Hubert
Hermann. Their
partnership en-
ded a few
years ago.
Luxembourg Pavillion, 2010 Shanghai Expo
The statue “Gëlle Fra” (Golden Lady) - a national
treasure - from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
was placed on 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. He says: “When in 2008
we were designing the Luxembourg pavili-
on for Shanghai, it was suggested that we
take ”Small is beautiful too” - a variant of
the saying “Small is beautiful” - as our
motto. This novel approach allowed the
Luxembourg pavilion to attract a lot of
attention at the biggest EXPO of all time in
China, where nothing else was small.”
“Architecture is not intellectual. Creating architecture
means working like a carpenter, a gardener, a cook.
Architecture means a revolt against the average.”
2
Below: Video clip of impressive projects by Valen-
tiny Architects.The background music is Fantasia
On a Theme by Thomas Tallis, performed by The
New Queen’s Hall Orchestra. Photo below: The
Tower of Dreams and Longings in Trier 2003-2004.
A landmark by Valentiny Architects, more sculpture
than architecture. An audacious, contemporary ver-
sion of the towers built in San Gimignano, Italy.
“Drawings are the Mirrors of my Dreams.” Luxembourg Pavilion, 2010 SHANGHAI EXPO
François Valentiny’s private studio in Remerschen:
a study in colour, form, light, glass and landscape.
The Luxembourg Pavilion for EXPO 2010, created
by Valentiny Architects, impressively demonstra-
tes what a contemporary alliance of architecture
and art looks like. Valentiny won the competition
for the Expo in 2010, where 40 international archi-
tects took part. ”We seem to have hit a nerve with
this design,” says François Valentiny. “Luxem-
bourg does not have an independent tradition on
its own, you know. We have never had famous
poets or musicians. Maybe the pavilion is the be-
ginning of an identity for Luxembourg.” Prime
Minister Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg was
full of praise:”The pavilion in Shanghai is a histori-
cal event. It has offered Luxembourg a unique
platform for its promotion in China and Asia.”
Magnificent interplay of shapes and colours in the Pavilion
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 was 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 lei-
sure facilities under one
roof. They organised a de-
sign competition for archi-
tects for this project in
2004, won by Valentiny
Architects with their striking
proposal, which also won
the 2012 Bauhäre Preis of
the OAI, the Order of Archi-
tects and Consulting Engi-
neers of the Grand Duchy
of Luxembourg.
Project Manager Axel Christmann of
Valentiny: the inspirator of the project
A large communal leisure amenity set in the
landscape, easily accessible by various
forms of transport. The building is elliptical in
plan, and like a flying saucer in bulk.
Two of the zones inside the waterpark offer
sports pools and a whirlpool. The third area
contains various 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 swim-
ming 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 build-
ing 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 who shared a single dream
got together in 2010 to establish a cultural
centre and music festival in Trancoso, in
the Bahia region of Brazil.
Sabine Lovatelli, the Musical Director of
the festival and the founder of the
“Mozarteum Brasileiro”; Carlos Eduardo
Bittencourt, a multi-talented man, who fell
in love with Trancoso 30 years ago;
François Valentiny, a passionate lover of
music and one of the greatest architects
in the world and Reinold Geiger, a busi-
nessman who is always on the look-out
for new challenges. “I met Sabine Lova-
telli in Austria long before I designed the
House for Mozart in Salzburg,” François
Valentiny says. “We visited her 5 years
ago in Brazil. I was very excited about the
country and its wonderful people and I
have retained this passion ever since. I
met Dominique and Reinold Geiger and
Calé Bittencourt at the same time.
After a special dinner, 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, which started in 2012, is a superb
eight-day event in an idyllic spot on the Brazilian coast.
’Música em Trancoso’ offers classical and popular concerts.
Over 200 musicians, ranging from members of Brazilian
youth orchestras to major names in classical
and contemporary Brazilian and international
music come to Trancoso. In 2012 the festival
took place in an auditorium of an amfitheatre
which is still under construction. It will even-
tually have a total capacity of 2,200 seats in
two autitoria.
“The building is half buried in the earth and
contains two concert halls,” François Valen-
tiny explains. “There is 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 the region of Bahia.”
The great success of the first edition in 2012
made it quite clear that Música em Trancoso was
here to stay. This is also thanks to Roberta
Lovatelli, who was the operational coordinator of
the festival in 2012. She welcomes the happiness
that the festival brought into the hearts of so
many music lovers. “It was a very rewarding ex-
perience to see the smiles on the people’s faces
when everything turned so well.”
In 2013 the 2nd Festival will be held from 23
February to 2 March.
Contact details: Música em Trancoso
Rua do Telégrafo, 385
45818 - 000 - TRANCOSO– BRAZIL
Tel. 0055-73-36– 68 1487/2177
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 per-formed 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 much better acoustics
and lighting. With a scenic location on the Rhine Pro-
menade, it offers a large and a small auditorium. Fu-
turistic 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 also a highly talented costume and set designer. He explains:”Designing costumes and drawing sets for operas is a logical continuation of my work and supplements my architectural activi-ties. I have created costumes and scenery for performances of André Chenier, Samson and Delilah 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.
Valentiny Architects 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 Shahe University Town in Beijing, China
François Valentiny has been a Master of Community Planning and Green Architectural Design at
the Beijing De Tao Master’s Academy (DTMA) , a high-level, multi-disciplinary, application-oriented
institution of higher education in Shanghai,
China, since 2011. He designed a basic
housing project for Shahe University Town
in Beijing (photo right) in this context.
De Tao Masters Academy launched the
Beijing Shahe University Town project, in
line with the Chinese government’s commit-
ment to “Revitalizing the Country with
Science and Technology,” in 2000.
The University Town, covering 8 square
kilometres and composed of educational,
commercial and residential facilities, stands
out in Beijing’s new landscape. Its tenants
include five top national universities in
different fields, with a total of 80,000 students and 20,000 faculty members. DTMA aims to collect
the industrial wisdom of the world, to provide a meeting-place for the world’s leading teachers,
to nurture professional industrial elites and to foster the development of prosperous business.
adato architecture, the first magazine for architects in Luxembourg, celebrated its 10th anniversary François Valentiny founded this bilingual architectural jour-nal together with his partner GG Kirchner in 2002, and is still co-editor. Published in French and German, adato ar-chitecture appears quarterly in 4 different countries, Bel-gium, Germany, France and Luxembourg, 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 countries, Luxembourg had not had a platform for architec-ture, so adato architecture met a real need. Renowned specialists from Luxembourg and abroad write interesting articles in its pages and leading architects, engineers and businessmen give their point of view. Editorial Board: Prof. Ingeborg Flagge; Marie-Hélène Lu-kas, François Valentiny, Torsten Altmeyer, Oliver Arenz and G.G. Kirchner. For further information, E-mail: [email protected] or call 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 of place in the Kirchberg business district.
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 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 mee-
ting areas. The structural design was conceived
with environmental and ecological factors in mind.
Recently named Sustainable Firm of the Year
2012 by International Accounting Bulletin, KPMG
hopes to ensure the building meets its high ex-
pectations with regard to sustainability.
7
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Tel. 0031-36-540 27 85 [email protected]
Valentiny Architects 19, rue des Près
L-5441 REMERSCHEN
LUXEMBOURG
E-mail: [email protected]
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
Valentiny 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 uni-
versity campus, with shops, restaurants, houses and a concert hall.
The former steel works will become the university library. The old blast
furnaces will be retained as modernist works of art. The steel skeleton
of the building will also be preserved, but will be covered by an innova-
tive 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 us
all. He encourages us to put
something new into every
design.”
Below: design for a Concert Hall in Wroclaw, Poland, 2005.