Quartier Brouch, on the edge of Esch-sur-Alzette, is quietly transforming. Where there were once closed-off buildings, there are now new courtyards, bridges, and a car-free path that invites people to walk through. At the heart of it all is a primary school reimagining how children learn and grow.
École Brouch. Photography by Andrés Lejona
JSWD studio leads the project after winning a major competition, and their work goes beyond simple renovation. They have reimagined the historic École Brouch and its surroundings, using architecture to create a sense of belonging. As schools are now expected to support flexibility, community, and well-being alongside academics, this campus in Luxembourg stands out as a strong example.
The original site was a closed-off block, cut off from its surroundings. JSWD’s winning design changed this by dividing the area into three building groups, each with its own green courtyard. Now, a new pedestrian path runs between them, open to everyone and free of cars, turning what was once a barrier into a welcoming walkway.
At the school, four buildings create a nearly square courtyard, with the historic main building, Building A, as the centrepiece. Large openings on the ground floor make the courtyard easy to see and reach from every side. Bridges on the first floor connect the buildings, making the school feel like a small village where each building is unique but still part of the same community.
The first part of this village is complete and already in use. Building C is to the south, mostly raised and three stories tall, while Building D is on the west side and is two stories tall. Both buildings look modern, but their brick exteriors are designed to match the plaster and stone of the nearby historic school, blending old and new.
École Brouch. Photography by JSWD / Franco Casaccia
École Brouch. Photography by JSWD / Franco Casaccia
Inside, the project’s goals are even clearer. Instead of separating classrooms from before- and after-school care areas, the design brings them together in what the architects call a flexible learning landscape. Open, semi-open, and closed spaces sit side by side; teaching evolves, without needing more construction or additional space.
It’s easy to find your way around here. The buildings form a ring and are connected on the first floor by glass bridges that lead straight to the historic school, so students always know where they are. In Building C, six wooden seating steps fit under an open staircase in the corner, giving children with a place to sit, meet, and relax between classes.
Building D is made for community use, with a sports hall that is partly underground, filled with natural light, and can be divided as needed. A separate ground-floor foyer allows visitors to enter directly so that the neighbourhood can use the hall in the evenings and on weekends. Nearby, a ground-floor kitchen can prepare up to 500 meals a day, plus 200 more for other schools, with deliveries kept away from the main entrance. Dining rooms on the upper floors of both buildings also serve as group spaces when not used for meals.
The village is still growing. A third new building, not yet built, will have its entrance at the same level as the historic building’s ground floor, making the whole area accessible without steps. Its hall will open to the courtyard and a covered outdoor space connected to the old loggia. A staircase with built-in seating will also serve as a small stage for classes and outdoor events. Nearby, a new preschool called Building E will be a quiet space, built around a sheltered garden courtyard for young children to play. Group rooms on the ground floor open to sunny patios, while upstairs rooms look out through loggias, with enough space for sleeping, cooking, and dining as needed.
École Brouch. Photography by JSWD / Franco Casaccia
École Brouch. Photography by JSWD / Franco Casaccia
Brick facades were chosen for their durability and their colour, carefully matched to the plaster and stone of the original school. The windows are sized to match the historic building. The brickwork itself is like a quiet artwork: parapets and balustrades are laid in a random pattern and finished level with the wall, contrasting with the ground-floor piers and window sections, where vertical joints create a rippling, almost sculptural texture.
That warm feeling carries through inside. Bronze-colored aluminum window frames lead to oak details throughout the building, including window sills, cabinets, and fittings. Light beige terrazzo covers the entrance hall, corridors, and stairs, and the same colour is used for the rubber floors in the classrooms, creating a sense of continuity. Overhead, exposed concrete ceilings meet white plaster walls, with colourful diamond-shaped felt panels that help with sound and add a playful touch.
The most personal detail is in the corridors and open stairwell, where wood-covered ceilings frame watercolour-style art in blue and orange. A kingfisher, a local bird, appears among the abstract shapes, giving the space a lively, local feel. Behind the scenes, a special facade system called Parieto brings in cool air during summer and uses solar-heated air in winter, with roof fans and solar panels helping to keep energy use low.
École Brouch. Artwork: Daniel Mac Lloyd. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Photography by Andrés Lejona
With the first two buildings open and busy, École Brouch already feels like more than a school. It serves as a small community center, sharing its sports hall with neighbours, serving meals to hundreds of children, and giving young students a stage to perform on even before they can read. As the next buildings are finished, including the third school and the new preschool, the idea of a flexible school village will grow even stronger.
What JSWD has built in Esch-sur-Alzette is more than a brick-and-glass building. It shows that thoughtful architecture can shape not only how children learn, but also how they feel about the place where they learn.
École Brouch. Artwork: Daniel Mac Lloyd. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Artwork: Daniel Mac Lloyd. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Artwork: Daniel Mac Lloyd. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Artwork: Daniel Mac Lloyd. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Artwork: Daniel Mac Lloyd. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Photography by JSWD / Franco Casaccia
École Brouch. Photography by JSWD / Franco Casaccia
École Brouch. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Photography by Andrés Lejona
École Brouch. Photography by JSWD / Franco Casaccia
École Brouch. Drawing by JSWD
Credit & Technical Sheet
Project address: 23, rue Michel Lentz, 4209 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
Client: City of Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
Architects: JSWD, Cologne in cooperation with Jim Clemes Associates, Esch/Alzette
JSWD is an architecture firm that was founded in Cologne in 2000. For some time now, there have been additional locations in Berlin, Vienna, Barcelona and Tampa, Florida, USA. Today, its two founders – Olaf Drehsen and Frederik Jaspert – along with partners Tobias Unterberg, Mario Pirwitz, and Christian Mammel, lead a team of around 240 employees from more than 30 countries. With over 60 buildings completed in Germany and Europe, JSWD’s portfolio boasts a wide range of projects: from cultural and event buildings to residential buildings, offices, and schools, from healthcare buildings to the conversion and repurposing of existing structures.
As architects and urban planners, the firm demonstrates its passion for materials and design and takes responsibility for sustainable planning. From the initial idea, JSWD is responsible for the success of every project, and as general planners, guides each one all the way to the final handover. In cooperation with architecture firms in other countries, including France, Spain, Luxembourg, and the US, JSWD can find additional sources of architectural, technical, and intellectual inspiration and work together effectively on joint construction projects.
The pursuit of conceptual and formal clarity runs through all of its construction projects like a common thread. Working with just a few, clearly defined elements allows for unique structural and spatial hierarchies. At the same time, each design develops its own identity based on the details of the situation and the desire to reflect the user's self-image in the form of corporate architecture.
