Page 251 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

L UXEMBOURG CIT Y  249

the unique opportunities offered
by the varying shapes and light
provided by the architecture.
MUDAM’s growing permanent
collection of paintings, photo-
graphy, film, video art and
installations, is also exhibited
in rotation at the museum. It
includes work by well-known
names such as Gilbert & George,
Richard Long, Cy Twombly and
Grayson Perry.
E Dräi Eechelen
Park Dräi Eechelen 5, Kirchberg. Tel 264
335. & ∑ m3e.public.lu
The Three Acorns (Dräi
Eechelen in Lëtzebuergesch,
Trois Glands in French) is the
The futuristic glass forms of the Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean nickname given to Fort
Thüngen, because of the
Congress and Conference giant square frame on pillars, acorn symbols that crown
Centre. The National Library, com ple mented by two each of its three round tow ers.
to the west of the Philharmonie, additional towers, and all Although it looks more like a
was founded in the late 18th covered in bronzed sheeting. Renaissance fortress, this
century and will take up curious bastion, with its arrow-
residence in a new purpose-built E Musée d’Art Moderne shaped ground plan, was built
home in the Kirschberg area in Grand-Duc Jean (MUDAM) by the Austrians in 1732–3; a
2015. To the south is the curious, Park Draï Eechelen, Kirchberg. century later, it was upgraded
cantilevered Hemicycle. Tel 453785-1. Open 11am–8pm Wed– by the Prussians. After the
Completed in 1979, it was used Fri, 11am–6pm Sat–Mon & public hols. destruction of the city’s
for plenary sessions of the & 7 - = ∑ mudam.lu fortifications in 1867, the
European Parliament and now Abbreviated to MUDAM, this fort was all but buried and
serves as a conference centre. modern art museum is the forgotten. However, its histor ic
country’s most prized and architectural value was
P Cour de Justice architectural statement: a reassessed and it has now
Boulevard Konrad Adenauer. stunning glass and sandstone been restored and turned into
∑ perraultarchitecte.com edifice designed by Leoh Ming the fortress museum of mili-
One of the most impressive Pei, the Chinese-American tary and national history, with
buildings in Kirchberg has always architect best known for his particular focus on Vauban’s
been the Cour de Justice – Court ingenious glass pyramids at contribution to Luxembourg
of Justice of the European Union. the Louvre in Paris. MUDAM first City’s fortifications. The fort
This classically proportioned, yet opened its doors in 2006. The forms part of the Vauban
uncompromisingly modern exhilarating spaces on three Circuit, a 4-km (3-mile) long
structure of dark-brown steel levels inside, are used for walk that loops between
is raised on a broad plinth, temporary exhibitions, where Kirchberg and the eastern
suggesting the full force of artists are invited to interact with side of the Old Town.
orderly law. Designed by a
Belgian-Luxembourg partnership,
it was completed in 1970. The
Court has the task of ensuring
that EU law is correctly
interpreted and applied across all
the member states – a huge task
that has become even greater
with the recent enlargement
of the EU to 28 member states.
The original building has been
renovated and extended to
create an even more impres sive
effect. Following designs by
French architect Dominique
Perrault (b.1953), it has been
completely surrounded by a Stalwart towers of the Dräi Eechelen, defending the approaches to the city
Panoramic view of the village of Esch-sur-Sûre, Luxembourg

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