(Re)discover the city: Nobilis Shopping Passage

Our capital – do you think you know it well? Well, think again!
Some buildings you walk past every day hide fascinating stories. Dr. Robert L. Philippart, a true expert in the field, will guide you through the city to uncover these hidden tales, offering you a new perspective on some of Luxembourg’s iconic buildings.

The “Nobilis” shopping arcade was located at 47 Avenue de la Gare and existed from 1976 to 2009.
The origins of the railway district date back to the opening of the central station in 1859. At that time, the surrounding areas fell within the military zone where only easily dismantled barracks were allowed, in case the fortress needed to defend itself.
The Thionville Front’s fortifications extended up to what is now Rue de Bonnevoie and Rue Origer. These military structures disappeared in 1872. In 1876, building regulations were published for the construction of houses along the present-day Avenue de la Gare.
The emerging district had a strongly industrial character. In 1911, the Jacquemart marble works was located at 47 Avenue de la Gare, moving in 1977 to the Kalchesbrück industrial zone, where it remained until its closure in 2013.

After Jacquemart’s departure, the vacant plot was made available to the “Akafcenter-Al-Avenue” commercial association, which offered parking for local customers. This was a reaction to the hesitation of the municipality and the state in creating public parking spaces.
At the same time, major discussions were taking place about developing a pedestrian zone in Avenue de la Gare, building a tunnel under Avenue de la Liberté (connecting Place de Paris and Place de la Gare), and constructing the Bonnevoie bypass (eventually inaugurated in June 1996).

Raymond Piré-Isemann acquired the Jacquemart site to transform it into a shopping center with a parking facility and a hotel, between Rue du Fort Neipperg and Avenue de la Gare.
He was likely inspired by two successful examples: the Sheraton Center (1971, Place Rogier, Brussels) and the Saint-Jacques Shopping Center (1976, Metz).
The Metz project was so innovative that President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing attended its inauguration. This new type of urban shopping passage also aimed to counter the growing competition from suburban shopping malls.

The project envisioned an 8-story hotel with 50 modern rooms, banquet and seminar rooms, a gourmet restaurant, and a cafeteria.
The shopping arcade, 4 meters wide and 120 meters deep, was to house 40 shops across several levels. A supermarket was planned for the basement.
A five-level parking garage was designed to provide 200 parking spaces, with the creation of a public paid parking seen as a major asset.
The architects René Schmit, Fernand Thielen, and Romain Hoffmann were responsible for the project.
The building permit was granted on 15 February 1979, and construction was completed 17 months later.

On 29 August 1980, Hôtel Nobilis opened its doors with two restaurants – “Calao” and “Taverne” – and a bar on the ground floor.
The number of shops was reduced to 33, mostly service-oriented businesses such as hairdressers, jewelers, a self-service food store, and a bakery.
Restaurant and shop customers could benefit from free parking if their spending exceeded 500 francs.

The neighboring building (No. 45) had been occupied since 1964 by the Grands Magasins A la Renommée.
After its closure, Monopol Galerie 45 was established in 1980, and in 1984 it became part of the Monopol department store company.
Galerie 45 was connected to Galerie Nobilis and closed in 2006.
Its space was later integrated into a new commercial area including the former "Nobilis" property.

Research and text:
Robert L. Philippart

Photo credits:
Site of the former Nobilis shopping arcade, Avenue de la Gare © Rolph
Nobilis front view of Luxembourg City