Come January, the European Union will have a new headquarters in its home city of Brussels. The state-of-the-art space, which was designed by Belgian firm Samyn and Partners in conjunction with Italian architects Studio Valle and British engineers BuroHappold, was first conceived to better accommodate the ten new states that were inducted in 2004, the largest single addition in the EU’s history.
The new building will occupy what was formerly an apartment complex known as the Residence Palace, which sits conveniently next to the EU’s original home (the two will soon be connected by a footbridge). The design is contemporary at its finest, with a soaring glass-paneled façade that encloses a mega-atrium, through which one can find offices, conference spaces, and a dining area. Perhaps most notable about the exterior, however, is its sustainable nature: It comprises 3,750 recycled window frames sourced from demolitions across the continent. At night the ball-shaped volume that contains the majority of the building’s functional spaces lights up, casting an ethereal glow.
A look inside the new $334 million EU headquarters.
The long road to the building’s completion has been a thorn in many EU members’ sides. The building was initially expected to be finished in 2012 for some $83 million less than its final cost of nearly $334 million.
