CFL Immo is not a recent creation: it dates back to 1997. But its diversification into residential property development is still in its infancy. “CFL Immo’s first major mission is the construction of office buildings for CFL’s own needs as well as for external clients, mainly the Luxembourg state for the time being,” explains Alain Blau, board chair. It is in this context that the renovation of the CFL head office in the Bâtiment de la Direction Générale (architects: Metaform) at the Place de la Gare; an administrative building (architects: Ballinipitt & Arep Architecture, delivery 2028) between boulevard de Kyiv and the CFL storage and maintenance centre at Bonnevoie; and the future CFL training centre (architects: Beng, delivery 2028) on the Rue de la Déportation are currently being developed in Luxembourg. “We are also constructing another 10,000m2 office building behind the Pont d’Alsace, designed by A+A, which will be rented out for government use,” adds Blau.
Alain Blau, board chair of CFL Immo Eva Krins/Maison Moderne
CFL Immo’s second major mission is now real estate development, which is its ambition for the future. “At the moment, we are not yet a major player in housing, but we do have four PAPs in our portfolio that we have developed over the last few years and that are about to be launched. Two are in Esch-sur-Alzette, with a total surface area of 20,000m2, and two are in Luxembourg, with a combined surface area of 50,000m2. In Esch, we have mainly planned housing, while in Luxembourg, the districts, one of which is on the Rue de la Déportation, from the Hollerich stop to the Pont d’Alsace, and the other on boulevard de Kyiv to the Dernier Sol tram stop, will be more mixed,” says Blau.
View of the administrative building to be constructed at Bonnevoie. Illustration: Ballinipitt & Arep Architecture
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View of the interior courtyard of the future administrative building (Illustration: Ballinipitt & Arep Architecture)
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Exterior view of the future CFL training centre. (Illustration: Beng)
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Exterior view of the building located near the rue d’Alsace bridge. (Illustration: A+A)
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Interior view of the timber-framed building to be constructed on rue d’Alsace. (illustration: A+A)
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Working together
To achieve this, CFL Immo is surrounded by a whole team of experts from different sectors who help them to develop and assess the feasibility of their projects. Roxane Prévost, director of CFL Immo, comments: “At the moment, a large part of our activity is concentrated on managing the four sites we have around the station, but we are also finalising the studies for the four PAPs on which we have been working for over two years to imagine the neighbourhoods of tomorrow. We are devoting a great deal of resources to development in order to maintain a high level of quality, in line with the requirements of the CFL Group, whose customer-focused strategy is based on four pillars: safety, quality, efficiency and innovation. These pillars are embodied by our employees, symbolised by the word “WE” in our strategy. CFL’s top priority, safety, plays a key role in all our projects, particularly in the complex urban context in which we are involved with the renovation of the CFL General Management Building, located between the Place de la Gare, Rue Fort Neipperg and Rue du Chemin de Fer.
Roxane Prévost, director of CFL Immo Eva Krins/Maison Moderne
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View of the construction site of the future CFL headquarters. Photo: Félix Giorgetti
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The historic facades are preserved and restored. Photo: Félix Giorgetti
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Inside the building, part of the structure has been preserved. Photo: Félix Giorgetti
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For all their projects, CFL Immo has to work within the framework of public procurement contracts, which means organising European invitations to tender. “For these PAPs,” says Prévost, “we work with the other players in the market, whether public players such as the ministry of housing, local authorities or the university, or private players, to envisage other types of product that correspond to current market needs and meet the expectations of young workers, students, etc. We also consider products that are not necessarily part of traditional development products. For example, we are looking at the possibility of building a student residence, or whether it makes sense to build a hotel around Luxembourg station.”
These projects are financed directly by CFL, with the help of the banks. As a result, income is expected to flow in from these developments. Some of the properties will be held in the portfolio to generate regular rental income, while others will be put up for sale under the VEFA scheme.
A strong focus on innovation
Innovation is an integral part of CFL Immo’s project design. “For almost five years, we have been investing heavily in the smart and technological aspects of our buildings,” says Prévost. “We have a BIM team that’s five strong, for example, and our aim is to acquire case studies that will enable us to achieve better energy management, optimised maintenance and even more appropriate use of materials. Our aim is to optimise the management and maintenance of our buildings. These experiments are currently being conducted on office buildings, but the results will also be used in residential development.” In addition to BIM, the integration of artificial intelligence is also being considered, “even though we’re still in the very early stages,” says Prévost. Other examples of innovation include the use of heating technology via an icebox coupled to a heat pump, geothermal energy and the recovery of rainwater and grey water for use in sanitary facilities or watering green spaces. In addition, the installation of photovoltaic panels and timber construction is now a more widespread practice.
Reception area at the entrance to the new CFL headquarters, with preservation of the historic fresco. Illustration : Metaform
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View of the atrium of the CFL headquarters. Illustration : Metaform
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The atmosphere inside the CFL headquarters will be calm and comfortable. Illustration : Metaform
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View of the future multi-purpose room at CFL headquarters. Illustration : Metaform
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Questions of circularity are also considered. “We have a very pragmatic approach to these issues,” says the director. “When we choose materials, we of course analyse their circularity, but we also look at this notion from a broader perspective, which includes the flexibility and transformability of the buildings.” To ensure the most accurate approach possible, the CFL Immo team works in workshops with experts in various fields (energy, circularity, sustainable urban planning, etc.) “In this way, we avoid generalities and can be very precise and concrete,” says Prévost. One of the points addressed, for example, is mobility. “Our sites are naturally located close to train stations. So we have to ask ourselves what parking is needed for cars. As well as the ecological aspect, we’re also looking at the benefits for purchasers, because building car parks involves earthworks and construction costs that aren’t necessarily attractive. Especially as we can easily offer car-sharing solutions through Flex, CFL’s car-sharing system.”
And still other projects
In addition to all this, CFL Immo is also managing other projects. Says Blau: “We are working on the development of land belonging to the Fonds du Rail, including a major tower-building project at Midfield in Howald. We’re also working on the interchanges, in particular with urban planning assignments.”
To which we should also add space management for all CFL offices, the renovation of certain unused passenger buildings (with a project underway at Oetrange and another at Leudelange), the refurbishment of waiting rooms according to a new concept, already in place at Esch and effective since 7 March 2025 in Luxembourg (concept: AREP Design), and the rental management of station concessions. These are just some of the many projects that will require an expanded team, which will need to grow even further over the coming months.
This article in French.
