Justice de Paix
The Hotel de la Justice de Paix is strategically located in the city centre of Esch-sur-Alzette: Place Norbert Metz. The building opens onto the urban centre, facing the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, the seat of the city’s political government. It is also at the crossroads of several major roads in the city, including the rue de l’Alzette, a busy pedestrian street with a wealth of shops and homes, constituting a significant economic and social hub crossing the urban core from one end to the other. The western end of this street used to be the site of the former court on Place de la Résistance (Brill), creating a logical link with the new location.
From the outside, the building looks like a monolith, but opens up with generous glass surfaces, creating a connection between outside and inside. The facade of light grey textile concrete panels gives the building a grounded appearance – which at the same time appears light and friendly due to the light colour of the concrete and the numerous window openings. Some of the basic principles of the Court of Peace are written in large letters on the façade and already here they give an insight into the interior of the building. “Vérité, Indépendance, Confiance, Probité, Honnêteté, Conscience, Loyauté, Égalité, Parole, Respect, Humanité” are some of the values printed in different shades of grey on the walls, which are clearly legible and which apply to each individual.
The building opens towards the town hall square with a covered forecourt with filigree columns, which intuitively guides the visitor to the main entrance. The all-round glazed security gate conveys a feeling of openness and transparency, thus underlining the basic principle of the Court of Peace: the visitor should always feel like a free person in this building.
This guiding principle of freedom and transparency is continued inside the building. The entrance foyer, open on all floors, impresses with its impressive peace and quiet and peaceful atmosphere. The outer façade extends throughout the entire atrium – the light concrete on the walls, ceilings and floors, the anthracite-coloured, printed lettering make this room a central place of residence. Large window areas and skylights create a light-flooded and friendly space, while the generous lines of sight to the Hôtel de Ville on one side and the Schlassgoart on the other emphasize the connection to the urban environment.
Particular attention is paid to the innovative energy concept of the building, which takes into account the architecture, the physical characteristics of the building and the technical equipment with a view to optimising energy consumption and the well-being of users
