Europa building in Brussels, Belgium

The European Union needed a permanent location in Brussels for meetings of its heads of government. The choice fell on the site of Résidence Palace, an art-deco complex with a lot of history. Jan De Nul converted the challenging design by Philippe Samyn and Partners from paper into an impressive building, in which old and new reach out to each other.

Europa building in overview

In Brussels, the heart of Europe, European government leaders, ministers and other officials gather to meet and make decisions. However, the Union did not yet have a suitable location where such meetings could take place. So we chose a historic site in the middle of the European quarter: Résidence Palace. We preserved as much of the original building as possible. This was seamlessly integrated into the design by Philippe Samyn and Partners. This resulted in a new landmark: the Europa building.

Europa building in numbers

3750

recycled windows

form the outer shell

374

LED lamps

illuminate the lantern

+70k

square metres

of ground surface across 12 floors

62

colours

used in the tapestries

Did you know?

Thanks to the unique design, we used as much as 30% less steel than for a classic façade.
The oak windows symbolise the European motto ‘Unity in diversity’. They come from all corners of the Union and were saved from the rubbish heap during demolition work. We sanded them down, restored them and applied a new coat of varnish before installing them in stainless steel frames.

Europa building in detail

To make the heart of the European institutions a symbol of sustainable cooperation, it is full of elements that drastically reduce the ecological footprint. The more than 70,000 square metres of floor space, spread over 12 floors, have also been given the highest safety and comfort standards.

The outer shell of the new building consists of 3,750 recycled oak windows, sourced from across the European Union. Inside is a huge steel ‘lantern’, with meeting rooms, press rooms, kitchens and so on. This structure is lit by 374 LED lights, one of several energy-efficient technologies, as are the solar panels on the roof. Collected rainwater is also used for plumbing, and efficient equipment ensures a pleasant working environment.

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Architecture by Ir. Philippe Samyn & Partners, architects & engineers

Architectuur door Ir. Philippe Samyn & Partners, architects & engineers