Martyrs car park

The Place des Martyrs underground car park in the Gare district, with its 447 parking spaces, first began operating since 1982. Following a fire on 9 September 2019, it was closed to the public. In the wake of this fire, a project was conceived to renovate and modernise the car park. The final project was approved by the College of Aldermen in November 2021 and by the Municipal Council in February 2022.

To make the car park more user-friendly, safer and accessible, and to bring it up to code, the project laid out a complete renovation:

• upgrading the structural elements and performing completion work including:

  • partial replacement of drains and waterproofing
  • replacement of the expansion joints on Place des Martyrs and inside the car park
  • replacement of the water drainage system
  • refurbishment of the paving on all levels, with the application of new layer of compressed concrete
  • refurbishment of the entrance and exit ramps and stairways
  • resurfacing of the parking areas and passages
  • demolition of the old stairway with its platform lift and creation of a new additional entrance for pedestrians and cyclists on Place des Martyrs, on the corner between Rue du Plébiscite and Avenue de la Liberté. This new entrance has a stairway and two elevators that serve all levels of the car park, and are compliant with all accessibility standards for people with reduced mobility. Every element of this entrance is transparent, to take full advantage of the natural light and to make users feel safer.
  • bringing the existing pedestrian entrances on Rue Ste Zithe and Rue de la Grève up to code
  • construction of new equipment rooms to house the technical installations.

• replacement of the building's technical installations to comply with current standards and achieve sustainability and low energy consumption, using sensors for centralised data management and close monitoring of the proper functioning of all the installations. This work entailed:

  • installing a ventilation system consisting of a supply and an extraction unit
  • installing sprinklers over all parking spaces and passages
  • installing a fire detection system throughout the entire car park, and cutting-edge firefighting equipment
  • installing GSM antennas to enable mobile phones to be used on all levels
  • installing the RENITA national public safety network (Réseau National Intégré de Radiocommunication) for emergency services needs
  • installing an adaptive lighting system
  • installing a dynamic parking guidance system inside the building: signs display the number of available spaces on each level, and coloured lights above each parking space make it easier to find available spaces. This guidance system, which considerably improves user experience, will be phased in at all of Luxembourg City's car parks. The Martyrs car park is also connected to the dynamic parking guidance system on the roads, making it easier for motorists to find car parks with available spaces.
  • installing a video surveillance system covering the entire car park
  • setting up secure entrances: users can only enter the car park if they present a valid entry ticket.

• other improvements to enhance accessibility, comfort and user-friendliness:

  • installation of signage that reflects the graphic charter created specially for Luxembourg City's car parks: it includes level numbers, colours and symbols specific to each car park to help users navigate the car park and keep from getting lost. The symbols used in the Martyrs car park relate to roses and the "Rousegäertchen".
  • installation of a system to read vehicle registration numbers to make the exit process more fluid: when the vehicle reaches the exit, the camera-equipped system recognises whether the parking fees have been paid. If they have been paid, the barrier opens immediately without the motorist needing to insert their ticket into the machine.
  • installation of coloured aluminium cladding on the walls of the entrance and exit ramps to give them a more modern look
  • creation of large toilet facilities, including for people with reduced mobility. Toilets are reserved for the car park customers and can be accessed only with a car park entry ticket.
  • installation of motorised doors on level -1 to make it easier for people with reduced mobility and people with bikes, pushchairs, etc., to enter
  • installation of a new system of paystations, exit booths and access control, facilitating overall management of the car park.

With the work completed, the Martyrs car park, spread over three underground levels, includes a total of 360 parking spaces that are at least 2.5 metres wide. A number of special parking spaces have been created:

• 12 parking spaces equipped with CHARGY charging stations
• 12 parking spaces for people with reduced mobility that are at least 3.5 metres wide
• 9 parking spaces for women, which are near the entrances and exits and the security booth to give women travelling on their own a greater sense of security.

To encourage active travel, a parking area for bikes has been installed on level -1 by the Rue du Plébiscite entrance. With racks for 32 bikes, this area allows cyclists to securely park their bikes in a spot that is sheltered from the weather. A bike repair and maintenance station, with a host of different tools and an air pump, is also available to cyclists, giving them a place to make adjustments or perform minor repairs.

The car park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.