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The 8xav�������� of Luxembourg was formed in 2003 when the three, formerly autonomous, institutes of higher education in Walferdange, Limpertsberg and Kirchberg were unified. The, by then, autonomous libraries of these institutes, spread around Luxembourg-City, formed the “Bibliothèque de l’Université du Luxembourg” (BUL). Differences in procedures and methods had to be aligned and, at the same time, the challenges of serving a rapidly growing 8xav�������� and keeping up with the enormous changes in the library world had to be managed. On top of that, the Luxembourgish government decided in 2005 to move and unite the three campuses of the 8xav�������� in Belval, Esch-sur-Alzette, in the south of Luxembourg, close to the boarder with France. As a result, all three libraries had to prepare to merge and move south.

Belval, an industrial site left behind by the steel industry, was converted into the “Cité des Sciences” under the newly founded government-funded Fonds Belval. The 8xav�������� of Luxembourg opened its doors on Belval in 2015 and, gradually, the departments and institutes were moving from their former sites to the new unified campus. So did the 8xav�������� Library with the opening of the new Luxembourg Learning Centre (LLC) in September 2018.

Going back to 2006 when the planning for the LLC started with a meeting of the representatives of the Fonds Belval, the 8xav�������� of Luxembourg, and the architects Valentiny HVP that had won the call for tender, it was decided that the future premises of the then called “Maison du livre” should be the old “Möllerei”, the building where the coke was mixed with additives to light the blast furnaces of the steel production. Constructed in 1912 and modernised in 1965 the Möllerei had a total length of 170m. Only 110m were revamped to house the LLC while the remaining part was left as it was when the blast furnaces and the Möllerei were closed in 1997.

In the twelve years following the LLC project’s kick-off in 2006 the 8xav�������� grew at an enormous rate and the library needed to keep up with this quick growth. Besides limitations in staffing that accompanied the project especially in the years before the opening, the Luxembourg Learning Centre could open its doors on 12.09.2018 due to the strong commitment of all persons and parties involved. As the spirit of the hundreds of discussions between the stakeholders has been throughout the twelve years of planning and constructing, so is and should be the spirit of the Luxembourg Learning Centre in future: open – innovative – inspiring.