Brussels, 05/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission and the Brussels region announced on Thursday 5 March that a French urban architect, Christian de Portzamparc, had been chosen to make the European district of Brussels more human. The workshop won the urban architecture competition set up to give a “facelift” to rue de la Loi, a large street off the Schuman roundabout where the European Commission and EU Council offices are established, in the close proximity of the European institutions.
The Commission currently occupies 170,000 square metres inside the area covered by the competition (this figure does not include the Berlaymont, which measures 240,000 square metres), and intends to increase this to 400,000 square metres within this perimeter. The additional 230,000 square metres will not meet new needs on the part of the Commission but will mainly be used to replace existing offices scattered around the European quarter which are to be vacated. The 400,000 square metres will also include a conference centre and, if possible, social facilities.
“Many see the European quarter as an urban ghetto”, European Commissioner Siim Kallas (administration) said, asserting that it is necessary to “distance oneself from the idea of all offices and find a powerful urban and architectural project”. The Commission wants “fewer but bigger buildings, emblematic buildings giving a positive image of the district”, he stressed. Environmental norms and standards should also be as high as possible.
Although the project does not determine the final outline of the quarter, it provides the broad lines. The aim will be to “go from a corridor street to an open street, with the creation of public areas”, summarised the president of the Bruxelles-Capitale region, Charles Picqué. The project also provides for the creation of gardens and green areas as well as a tramway “that would circle round the European area”. So that the European quarter does not become a permanent worksite, transformation will be gradual and “take at least 15 years”, Mr Picqué said. The aim of it all is to reconcile the people of Brussels to the part of town that many people find disfigured by the European institutions. (L.C./transl.jl)