EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT –
PAUL-HENRI-SPAAK BUILDING
BRUXELLES
BELGIQUE, 2020
INSTITUTION
PR–604
A powerful symbol of the European Union, the European Parliament embodies the postmodern architectural heritage of the 1990s.
PROGRAM
The project aims to renovate and extend the Paul-Henri Spaak building, the seat of the European Parliament designed in 1993 by Michel Boucquillon. Respectful of its postmodern identity, the intervention preserves the iconic structural elements for aesthetic and ecological reasons. The envelope has been completely redesigned and the structure reconfigured to offer new spatial dynamics. On the roof, a vast dome and terraced gardens complete the building, affirming its institutional and open dimension.
DETAIL
Situation
European quarter, Bruxelles, Belgium
Year
2020
Status
International contest
Site area
17 900 m²
Project areaa
90 900 m²
Project management
European Parliament, Bruxelles
Project implementation
Dominique Perrault, architect, urbanist
Associate architect
DDS+
Design offices
Ney & Partners, HL-PP Consult International Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, Sorane SA, Arcora, Jean-Paul Lamoureux, Urban Eco
Interior architect and design
Gaëlle Lauriot-Prévost
DESCRIPTION
The renovation does not seek to erase this memory, but rather to enhance it by infusing new spatialities. The transformation takes place within the building’s envelope: the existing levels are retained, but strategic openings are created, establishing visual and spatial connections between the floors. New circulation routes around the perimeter of the building allow people to move around while enjoying views of the city. The roof becomes an active and symbolic space: terraced gardens are laid out there, while the hemicycle—the beating heart of the democratic assembly—is repositioned under a dome at the top. This architectural gesture reinvents the silhouette of the Spaak building while reaffirming its place in the landscape of the European quarter.
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