Stage 3
Stage 3
Welcome to the European Quarter
Brutalism, postmodernism & new constructions
From here, you can walk or take the bus to Place du Luxembourg.Welcome to the European Quarter! Please note that here, it becomes difficult to list all the (interesting) contemporary buildings. Start things off with the unmissable Espace Léopold where you’ll find, among others, the Paul-Henri-Spaak building designed by Michel Boucquillon in collaboration with the Association of Architects of the CIC, which was inaugurated in 1993 and houses the hemicycle of the European Parliament. It’s not easy to appreciate the full extent of the building from the ground, but you can walk around it through Leopold Park. It is also open for tours.
© visit.brussels - S. Schmitt
Time for a change of era, with the very fashionable and colourful Wilfried Martens building (also owned by the Parliament), at 80 Rue Belliard, completed in 2016 and delivered by BESIX and Jacques Delens.
From the building, you can see the Belliard footbridge overlooking the street in the distance. It was created in 1983 by the architectural firm Group Planning - one of the figures of postmodernist architecture in Belgium in the 1980s.
We jump back into brutalism with the buildings at 53 and 55 Rue d'Arlon, designed by Jean Verschuere and completed in 1968.
Continue to explore the heart of the European Quarter with the recently completed The One at 103 Rue de la Loi, the first building to emerge from the new development plan for the street and its surroundings. It was designed by B2Ai offices and delivered in 2018. Just further along are two glass buildings: at 145 on the same street, the Lex building built by the Jaspers-Eyers office in 2006 and housing Commission offices and, almost opposite it, at 170, the Charlemagne building, which also houses the Commission. This building was originally built by Jacques Cuisinier in 1967 before being renovated between 1995 and 1998 with the collaboration of the German architect Helmut Jahn.
Next to the Lex is the Europa building (the former "Résidence Palace"), an extension of the Council of the European Union headquarters, designed by Philippe Samyn and Partners in association with Studio Valle Progettazioni and inaugurated in late 2016. On its facade is a patchwork of old wooden frames recovered from European countries. Inside, there is a giant amphora made of sandblasted glass that acts as a "lantern" at night.
And, of course, opposite it, at 200 Rue de la Loi, is the legendary Berlaymont, originally built between 1963 and 1969 by Lucien De Vestel, Jean Gilson and André and Jean Polak. The building takes its name from a former boarding school for young girls, the Convent of the Ladies of Berlaymont, founded in 1625 and located on these premises in 1864 (after being expropriated to make way for the future Brussels Palais de Justice!) The Belgian State bought the land in 1960 to house the Commission. A major asbestos removal project began in 1991 and was completed in 2004. The building was sold to the Commission the same year.
Before continuing, you can go and sit in Cinquantenaire Park and admire the Cinquantenaire Palace, built in 1880 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Belgium’s independence. And, if you like panoramic views, climb to the top of the arcades, via the Militaryy Museum (there is an entrance fee for the museum). From up there, you can see the buildings and the urbanisation of the European Quarter.