Just two weeks before he steps down in favour of Crown Prince Guillaume, Grand Duke Henri was on hand to help inaugurate BGL BNP Paribas’ new head office in Kirchberg on Thursday.

The Sekoia building, which took two and a half years to complete, has space for 1,100 workstations spread over 18,500 square metres on eight floors. The last staff are scheduled to move into the new office on 29 September.

Designed by M3 Architectes, the new HQ requires 70% less energy than the old head office and will meet the highest environmental standards, the bank said, as it targets a range of energy efficiency certifications as well as a low carbon building label.

“Employee wellbeing has not been forgotten either, as the bank is also aiming to obtain OsmoZ certification,” BGL BNP Paribas said in a press release.

The Sekoia name was chosen by staff through an in-house competition. It references the sequoia, or millennium tree, with the “K” standing for the Kirchberg business district that has been home to the bank’s headquarters for the past 30 years.

BGL BNP Paribas is one of Luxembourg’s biggest employers, with 3,890 staff, according to Statec data released earlier this year.