Espace Léopold
Encyclopedia
The Espace Léopold or (Dutch) is the complex of parliament buildings in Brussels
(Belgium) housing the European Parliament
, a legislative chamber
of the European Union (EU).
It consists of a number of buildings, primarily the oldest, the Paul-Henri Spaak building, which houses the debating chamber and the President's offices, and the Altiero Spinelli building which is the largest. The buildings are located in the European quarter
in the east of Brussels, with building starting in 1989.
The complex is not the official seat of Parliament, which is the Immeuble Louise Weiss in Strasbourg
, France, but as most of the other institutions of the European Union
are in Brussels, Parliament built the Brussels complex in order to be closer to their activities. A majority of the Parliament's work is now geared to its Brussels site, but it is legally bound to keep Strasbourg as its official home.
, where the parliament's official seat
is located. In Brussels an international congress centre (unofficially intended as the Parliament) was built with the backing of the Generale Maatschappij/Société Générale
and BACOB who joined forces on the project in 1987. The project was built on an old brewery and marshalling yard including the covering of the Luxembourg railway station to form a pedestrian area. The building project started before 1988 with building work on the hemicycle and the north wing starting in 1989 and the south wing in 1992.
The policy committees, inter-parliamentary delegations and the political groups all meet in the complex. Consequently the secretariat of the committees (DG IPOL and DG EXPO) and the political groups are all situated there as well. Construction on the Spinelli building started in 1991 and was competed in 1997 while the last phase of extensions (Antall and Brandt), towards Luxembourg Square
along rue de Trierstraat, was completed during 2008.
Following the completion of Antall and Brandt, it is believed the complex now provides enough space for Parliament for the next ten to fifteen years with no major new building projects foreseen. Three quarters of Parliamentary activity now take place in Espace Léopold, rather than Strasbourg.
In 2008, the final extensions to the complex were completed along the Trierstraat and Luxembourg Square
. Originally called the D4 and D5 buildings, there was controversy as to who to name them after. At the death of Pope John Paul II
, Polish MEPs tried to get the new buildings named after him, though this was opposed on grounds of secular government and that he did not contribute to the Parliament. Václav Havel
, Nelson Mandela
, Olof Palme
, Margaret Thatcher
and Jan Palach
were all suggested by MEPs, with one satirical suggestion was naming the two buildings the "Kaczyński Towers" after the Polish brothers Lech
and Jarosław Kaczyński, the first the late former President and the latter formerly Prime Minister (2006–07), who enjoy a frosty relationship with Brussels. In January 2008 the bureau reached a final decision. The new buildings were named after Willy Brandt
, the German chancellor from 1969 to 1974, and József Antall
, the first elected Hungarian prime minister from 1990 to 1993. The bridge connecting the new building to the original structure was named the Konrad Adenauer bridge. Konrad Adenauer
was the German chancellor from 1949 to 1963. Meanwhile, the parliament's press room was named after the assassinated Russian journalist, Anna Politkovskaya
.
In September 2008 Parliament held its first full plenary session (only part sessions are held in Brussels, see Location of European Union institutions
) in Brussels after parts of the celling of the Strasbourg chamber collapsed during recess forcing the temporary move.
On 14 January 2009, the European Parliament decided to bestow the names of two distinguished and prematurely deceased MEP's to specific locations inside the building: the reading room inside the building's library was named Salle Francisco Lucas Pires and the assembly room of the Conciliation Committee was named Salle Renzo Imbeni.
. Between the Spinelli buildings and the Brant-Antall buildings, which are connected by the circular Konrad Adenauer footbridge, runs the esplanade of the European Parliament
(or the "Mall").
The Paul-Henri Spaak building (PHS), named after former President
Paul-Henri Spaak
, houses the hemicycle for plenary sessions in that city, as well as a press centre and offices for the Parliament's President and senior Parliament staff. The building juts from the main buildings out into Leopold Park surrounding the far side with trees. With its striking cylinder
-shaped glass dome, redolent of the Crystal Palace
as well as the Northern Bordiau Hall of the nearby Parc du Cinquantenaire
, the building known to locals as the “Caprice des Dieux” (whim of the gods), which is the name of a cheese with the same shape. The 12th floor President's Dining Room is the dome's interior. This is being used for some press events and special occasions. One of the glass facades inside the dome is covered with a 150 square meters large ceramic mural called Miti del Mediterraneo, portraying the abduction of Europa
and other elements of Greek mythology
, which was made between 1992 and 1993 by Aligi Sassu
.
To the west of the Paul-Henri Spaak building is the Altiero Spinelli building, connected by a two-floor pedestrian bridge. The Altiero Spinelli building (ASP, formerly D3), named after parliamentarian Altiero Spinelli
, primarily houses the offices of MEPs and political groups. It also houses shops, cafeteria and the members' bar. It is the largest building with 372,000m² of space and incorporates five high-rise towers, each up to 17 floors.
The buildings west of Spinelli are connected via the circular Konrad Adenauer footbridge (across the esplanade) to the Willy Brandt building (WIB, formerly D4), the József Antall building (JAN, formerly D5) and the old train station building (BQL). The Brandt building began to be occupied in July 2007 by the external policies DG and the European Conservatives and Reformists group. The new complex has 375 offices in Brandt and 5 conference rooms (with 25 interpreters' booths) in Antall in addition to new press facilities. The first meeting in the Antall building took place on 7 October 2008.
The ground floor (on the rue de Trierstraat side) of the Antall building includes an entrance to the Brussels-Luxembourg station. The old building of the Brussels-Luxembourg station
(originally called the Leopold Quarter Station) has been turned into a public information office and venue for ad hoc exhibitions. The first such exhibition, on the history of buildings in the EU quarter of Brussels, was held in the summer of 2007.
To the north of the Spinelli building are the Atrium and Remard buildings. The Atrium I & II buildings (ATR) hosts the DG IPOL and some political groups secretariats. Number 1 was completed in 2000, and the second in 2004. The Remard building was rented from March 2004 for a period of 9 years, with the possibility of cancellation after 6 years for an annual rent of €1,387,205.
according to their political groups who are ordered left to right according to their alignment. However the non attached members are seated towards on the right towards the outer ring without a front bench seat. All desks are equipped with microphones, headphones for interpretation and electronic voting equipment. The leaders of the groups sit on the front benches at the centre, and in the very centre is a podium for guest speakers. The remaining half of the circular chamber is primarily composed of the raised area where the President and staff sit. Behind them there is an EU flag attached to the wall with national flags above it.
Interpreters' booths are located behind them and along the sides of the chamber, while public galleries are located at the rear. Further benches are provided between the sides of the raised area and the MEPs, these are taken up by the Council on the far left and the Commission on the far right. The chamber as a whole is of a wooden design, unlike the hemicycle in Strasbourg, and was extensively renovated in 2003 to create more seats and interpretation booths for the 2004 EU enlargement.
Parliament, its committees and plenary meetings are open to the public. Free audio guided tours are offered when parliament is not holding a plenary meeting. The buildings, containing several shops and banks, are largely open to the public and receive 15,000 people a day. The old station building houses the Belgian public information office on the European Parliament, and "infodoc", a specialised literary resource on the Parliament for academics and journalists. A more general public information resource is available at the "infopoint" on the esplanade side of the Spinelli building.
The ground floor of the Brandt building houses a visitors' centre
on the ground floor, originally planned to open in time for the 2009 European election
but it had been delayed by a year. With 6,000 square metres it will be the second largest Parliamentary visitors centre in the world, modelled on the Swedish and Danish centres, with a state-of-the-art interactive role play allowing visitors to simulate the work of an MEP in a mock hemicycle – debating and passing legislation.
The original visitor's centre was opened in the 1990s and became too small to handle visitors. The new centre includes a cafeteria, shop, children's area and a "resource area" offering databases of detailed information. There is also a permanent exhibition on the Parliament and Europe. Entry will be free and visitors will not have to gain passes or go through heavy security checks as they have to with the rest of the complex.
The European Parliament has also collected around 363 paintings and sculptures across its three sets of buildings which it has been purchasing as a pan-European cultural collection since 1979. Lidia Geringer de Oedenberg
MEP, who is in charge of Parliament's art budget, plans to ensure the public have greater access by opening a 'tunnel of art' between the Espace Léopold and the Delors building
. A museum of Europe will also be established in the Eastman building near Parliament in Leopold Park
.
A long-standing statue outside the Paul-Henri Spaak building has become popular with tourists. The bronze statue, simply called "Europe", was created by May Claerhout
and is a representation of Europa
, carried by a mass of people while also being apart of it. The figure carries an "E", the symbol of the euro and as a sign of unity. The statue was given to Parliament by the Belgian presidency of the EU
on 20 December 1993.
The entire European Parliament in Brussels used to be housed in the Belliard building, now called the Delors (RMD) building (after former President
Jacques Delors
). This building, and the Bertha von Suttner (ATR) buildings (after pacifist Bertha von Suttner
) which is part of Espace Léopold, now house the Economic and Social Committee
and the Committee of the Regions
.
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(Belgium) housing the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, a legislative chamber
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of the European Union (EU).
It consists of a number of buildings, primarily the oldest, the Paul-Henri Spaak building, which houses the debating chamber and the President's offices, and the Altiero Spinelli building which is the largest. The buildings are located in the European quarter
Brussels and the European Union
Brussels is considered to be the de facto capital of the European Union, having a long history of hosting the institutions of the European Union within its European Quarter...
in the east of Brussels, with building starting in 1989.
The complex is not the official seat of Parliament, which is the Immeuble Louise Weiss in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, France, but as most of the other institutions of the European Union
Institutions of the European Union
The European Union is governed by seven institutions. Article 13 of Treaty on European Union lists them in the following order: the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European...
are in Brussels, Parliament built the Brussels complex in order to be closer to their activities. A majority of the Parliament's work is now geared to its Brussels site, but it is legally bound to keep Strasbourg as its official home.
History
Due to the failure of leaders to agree on a single seat, the Parliament desired full infrastructure in both Brussels and StrasbourgStrasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, where the parliament's official seat
Seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg
The city of Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament. The institution is legally bound to meet there twelve sessions a year lasting about four days each. Other work takes place in Brussels and Luxembourg City...
is located. In Brussels an international congress centre (unofficially intended as the Parliament) was built with the backing of the Generale Maatschappij/Société Générale
Société Générale de Belgique
The Société Générale de Belgique was one of the largest companies that ever existed in Belgium. It was founded in 1822 by William I, and existed until 2003, when its then sole shareholder, Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux, merged it with Tractebel to form Suez-Tractebel.-History:As part of the terms of the...
and BACOB who joined forces on the project in 1987. The project was built on an old brewery and marshalling yard including the covering of the Luxembourg railway station to form a pedestrian area. The building project started before 1988 with building work on the hemicycle and the north wing starting in 1989 and the south wing in 1992.
The policy committees, inter-parliamentary delegations and the political groups all meet in the complex. Consequently the secretariat of the committees (DG IPOL and DG EXPO) and the political groups are all situated there as well. Construction on the Spinelli building started in 1991 and was competed in 1997 while the last phase of extensions (Antall and Brandt), towards Luxembourg Square
Luxembourg Square
The Place du Luxembourg or Luxemburgplein is a square in the European Quarter of Brussels .-Design:The square consists largely of restaurants and bars which dominate the wide pavements, with some banks and other retail services, serving the employees and members of the neighbouring European...
along rue de Trierstraat, was completed during 2008.
Following the completion of Antall and Brandt, it is believed the complex now provides enough space for Parliament for the next ten to fifteen years with no major new building projects foreseen. Three quarters of Parliamentary activity now take place in Espace Léopold, rather than Strasbourg.
In 2008, the final extensions to the complex were completed along the Trierstraat and Luxembourg Square
Luxembourg Square
The Place du Luxembourg or Luxemburgplein is a square in the European Quarter of Brussels .-Design:The square consists largely of restaurants and bars which dominate the wide pavements, with some banks and other retail services, serving the employees and members of the neighbouring European...
. Originally called the D4 and D5 buildings, there was controversy as to who to name them after. At the death of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, Polish MEPs tried to get the new buildings named after him, though this was opposed on grounds of secular government and that he did not contribute to the Parliament. Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
, Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, Olof Palme
Olof Palme
Sven Olof Joachim Palme was a Swedish politician. A long-time protegé of Prime Minister Tage Erlander, Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 to his assassination, and was a two-term Prime Minister of Sweden, heading a Privy Council Government from 1969 to 1976 and a cabinet...
, Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
and Jan Palach
Jan Palach
Jan Palach was a Czech student who committed suicide by self-immolation as a political protest.- Death :...
were all suggested by MEPs, with one satirical suggestion was naming the two buildings the "Kaczyński Towers" after the Polish brothers Lech
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
and Jarosław Kaczyński, the first the late former President and the latter formerly Prime Minister (2006–07), who enjoy a frosty relationship with Brussels. In January 2008 the bureau reached a final decision. The new buildings were named after Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a German politician, Mayor of West Berlin 1957–1966, Chancellor of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....
, the German chancellor from 1969 to 1974, and József Antall
József Antall
József Antall was the first democratically-elected Prime Minister of Hungary after the fall of Communism , teacher, librarian, historian and political figure...
, the first elected Hungarian prime minister from 1990 to 1993. The bridge connecting the new building to the original structure was named the Konrad Adenauer bridge. Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
was the German chancellor from 1949 to 1963. Meanwhile, the parliament's press room was named after the assassinated Russian journalist, Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist, author, and human rights activist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and then-President of Russia Vladimir Putin...
.
In September 2008 Parliament held its first full plenary session (only part sessions are held in Brussels, see Location of European Union institutions
Location of European Union institutions
The governing institutions of the European Union are not concentrated in a single capital city; they are instead spread across three cities with other EU agencies and bodies based further away...
) in Brussels after parts of the celling of the Strasbourg chamber collapsed during recess forcing the temporary move.
On 14 January 2009, the European Parliament decided to bestow the names of two distinguished and prematurely deceased MEP's to specific locations inside the building: the reading room inside the building's library was named Salle Francisco Lucas Pires and the assembly room of the Conciliation Committee was named Salle Renzo Imbeni.
Buildings
The complex consists of the Paul-Henri Spaak building (which houses the debating chamber), the Altiero Spinelli building, two new buildings known as the Willy Brandt and József Antall buildings and a newly refurbished building which was the former entrance to the Brussels-Luxembourg StationBrussels-Luxembourg Station
Brussels-Luxembourg railway station is a station in the European Quarter of Brussels under the Esplanade of the European Parliament .-History:...
. Between the Spinelli buildings and the Brant-Antall buildings, which are connected by the circular Konrad Adenauer footbridge, runs the esplanade of the European Parliament
Esplanade of the European Parliament
The Esplanade of the European Parliament, or simply the mall, is a pedestrian mall in Brussels , completed in 2002.-Position:...
(or the "Mall").
President of the European Parliament
The President of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. He or she also represents the Parliament within the EU and internationally. The President's signature is required for enacting most EU laws and the EU budget.Presidents serve...
Paul-Henri Spaak
Paul-Henri Spaak
Paul Henri Charles Spaak was a Belgian Socialist politician and statesman.-Early life:Paul-Henri Spaak was born on 25 January 1899 in Schaerbeek, Belgium, to a distinguished Belgian family. His grandfather, Paul Janson was an important member of the Liberal Party...
, houses the hemicycle for plenary sessions in that city, as well as a press centre and offices for the Parliament's President and senior Parliament staff. The building juts from the main buildings out into Leopold Park surrounding the far side with trees. With its striking cylinder
Cylinder (geometry)
A cylinder is one of the most basic curvilinear geometric shapes, the surface formed by the points at a fixed distance from a given line segment, the axis of the cylinder. The solid enclosed by this surface and by two planes perpendicular to the axis is also called a cylinder...
-shaped glass dome, redolent of the Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
as well as the Northern Bordiau Hall of the nearby Parc du Cinquantenaire
Cinquantenaire
Parc du Cinquantenaire or Jubelpark is a large public, urban park in the easternmost part of the European Quarter in Brussels, Belgium....
, the building known to locals as the “Caprice des Dieux” (whim of the gods), which is the name of a cheese with the same shape. The 12th floor President's Dining Room is the dome's interior. This is being used for some press events and special occasions. One of the glass facades inside the dome is covered with a 150 square meters large ceramic mural called Miti del Mediterraneo, portraying the abduction of Europa
Europa (mythology)
In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage, from whom the name of the continent Europe has ultimately been taken. The name Europa occurs in Hesiod's long list of daughters of primordial Oceanus and Tethys...
and other elements of Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, which was made between 1992 and 1993 by Aligi Sassu
Aligi Sassu
Aligi Sassu was an Italian painter and sculptor.-Biography:Aligi Sassu was born in Milan, Lombardy, into a Sardinian-origin family. His father Antonio was one of the founders of the Italian Socialist Party at Sassari in 1894, and had moved to Milan in 1896, where he had married Lina Pedretti in...
.
To the west of the Paul-Henri Spaak building is the Altiero Spinelli building, connected by a two-floor pedestrian bridge. The Altiero Spinelli building (ASP, formerly D3), named after parliamentarian Altiero Spinelli
Altiero Spinelli
Altiero Spinelli was an Italian political theorist and a European federalist. Spinelli is referred to as one of the "Founding Fathers of the European Union" due to his co-authorship of the Ventotene Manifesto, his founding role in the European federalist movement, his strong influence on the first...
, primarily houses the offices of MEPs and political groups. It also houses shops, cafeteria and the members' bar. It is the largest building with 372,000m² of space and incorporates five high-rise towers, each up to 17 floors.
The buildings west of Spinelli are connected via the circular Konrad Adenauer footbridge (across the esplanade) to the Willy Brandt building (WIB, formerly D4), the József Antall building (JAN, formerly D5) and the old train station building (BQL). The Brandt building began to be occupied in July 2007 by the external policies DG and the European Conservatives and Reformists group. The new complex has 375 offices in Brandt and 5 conference rooms (with 25 interpreters' booths) in Antall in addition to new press facilities. The first meeting in the Antall building took place on 7 October 2008.
The ground floor (on the rue de Trierstraat side) of the Antall building includes an entrance to the Brussels-Luxembourg station. The old building of the Brussels-Luxembourg station
Brussels-Luxembourg Station
Brussels-Luxembourg railway station is a station in the European Quarter of Brussels under the Esplanade of the European Parliament .-History:...
(originally called the Leopold Quarter Station) has been turned into a public information office and venue for ad hoc exhibitions. The first such exhibition, on the history of buildings in the EU quarter of Brussels, was held in the summer of 2007.
To the north of the Spinelli building are the Atrium and Remard buildings. The Atrium I & II buildings (ATR) hosts the DG IPOL and some political groups secretariats. Number 1 was completed in 2000, and the second in 2004. The Remard building was rented from March 2004 for a period of 9 years, with the possibility of cancellation after 6 years for an annual rent of €1,387,205.
Hemicycle
Members are arranged in a hemicycleHemicycle (chamber)
In legislatures, a hemicycle is a term for a semicircular, or horseshoe shaped, debating chamber where deputies sit to discuss and pass legislation. Though composed of Greek roots, the term is French in origin...
according to their political groups who are ordered left to right according to their alignment. However the non attached members are seated towards on the right towards the outer ring without a front bench seat. All desks are equipped with microphones, headphones for interpretation and electronic voting equipment. The leaders of the groups sit on the front benches at the centre, and in the very centre is a podium for guest speakers. The remaining half of the circular chamber is primarily composed of the raised area where the President and staff sit. Behind them there is an EU flag attached to the wall with national flags above it.
Interpreters' booths are located behind them and along the sides of the chamber, while public galleries are located at the rear. Further benches are provided between the sides of the raised area and the MEPs, these are taken up by the Council on the far left and the Commission on the far right. The chamber as a whole is of a wooden design, unlike the hemicycle in Strasbourg, and was extensively renovated in 2003 to create more seats and interpretation booths for the 2004 EU enlargement.
Visitors
The ground floor of the Brandt building houses a visitors' centre
Parlamentarium
The Parlamentarium is the visitors' centre of the European Parliament . Located in the Parliament's Espace Léopold complex in Brussels, it was officially inaugurated on 14 October 2011 by EP President Jerzy Buzek. It contains a permanent exhibition with hundreds of multimedia components, explaining...
on the ground floor, originally planned to open in time for the 2009 European election
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
but it had been delayed by a year. With 6,000 square metres it will be the second largest Parliamentary visitors centre in the world, modelled on the Swedish and Danish centres, with a state-of-the-art interactive role play allowing visitors to simulate the work of an MEP in a mock hemicycle – debating and passing legislation.
The original visitor's centre was opened in the 1990s and became too small to handle visitors. The new centre includes a cafeteria, shop, children's area and a "resource area" offering databases of detailed information. There is also a permanent exhibition on the Parliament and Europe. Entry will be free and visitors will not have to gain passes or go through heavy security checks as they have to with the rest of the complex.
The European Parliament has also collected around 363 paintings and sculptures across its three sets of buildings which it has been purchasing as a pan-European cultural collection since 1979. Lidia Geringer de Oedenberg
Lidia Geringer de Oedenberg
Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg is a Polish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the DS & OPwith the Democratic Left Alliance-Labor Union, part of the Socialist Group...
MEP, who is in charge of Parliament's art budget, plans to ensure the public have greater access by opening a 'tunnel of art' between the Espace Léopold and the Delors building
Delors building
The Delors building located in the European Quarter of Brussels and houses the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. It was named Delors in 2006 after President Jacques Delors, who was the principal founder behind the Committee of the Regions and the most...
. A museum of Europe will also be established in the Eastman building near Parliament in Leopold Park
Leopold Park
Parc Léopold or Leopoldspark is a public park located within the Leopold Quarter of Brussels, adjacent to the Paul-Henri Spaak building, the seat of the European Parliament....
.
A long-standing statue outside the Paul-Henri Spaak building has become popular with tourists. The bronze statue, simply called "Europe", was created by May Claerhout
May Claerhout
May Claerhout is a Belgian artist who was born in Pittem. She creates sculptures in bronze and terracotta, and she has created several statues for public buildings in Belgium. Her studio is located in Malle...
and is a representation of Europa
Europa (mythology)
In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage, from whom the name of the continent Europe has ultimately been taken. The name Europa occurs in Hesiod's long list of daughters of primordial Oceanus and Tethys...
, carried by a mass of people while also being apart of it. The figure carries an "E", the symbol of the euro and as a sign of unity. The statue was given to Parliament by the Belgian presidency of the EU
Presidency of the Council of the European Union
The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is the responsibility for the functioning of the Council of the European Union that rotates between the member states of the European Union every six months. The presidency is not a single president but rather the task is undertaken by a national...
on 20 December 1993.
Other and former buildings
Other rented and minor buildings, outside the main complex but used by the Parliament, include three buildings on rue Montoyer, the Eastman building (EAS) in Leopold Park, the second and third floors of the "Wiertz banana building" and the Wayenberg building further east of the park. There are also a number of buildings are rented on Rue Montoyerstraat; 'MOY72' houses all of the DG INFO and 'MTY 70' and 'MOY 63' other support services. (50.840609°N 4.373192°W)The entire European Parliament in Brussels used to be housed in the Belliard building, now called the Delors (RMD) building (after former President
President of the European Commission
The President of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission ― the executive branch of the :European Union ― the most powerful officeholder in the EU. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or dismiss them if needed...
Jacques Delors
Jacques Delors
Jacques Lucien Jean Delors is a French economist and politician, the eighth President of the European Commission and the first person to serve three terms in that office .-French Politics:...
). This building, and the Bertha von Suttner (ATR) buildings (after pacifist Bertha von Suttner
Bertha von Suttner
Bertha Felicitas Sophie Freifrau von Suttner was an Austrian novelist, radical pacifist, and the first woman to be a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.-Biography:Suttner was born in Prague, Bohemia, the daughter of an impoverished Austrian Field Marshal,...
) which is part of Espace Léopold, now house the Economic and Social Committee
Economic and Social Committee
The European Economic and Social Committee is a body of the European Union established in 1958. It is a consultative assembly composed of employers , employees and representatives of various other interests...
and the Committee of the Regions
Committee of the Regions
The Committee of the Regions is European Union's assembly of local and regional representatives that provides sub-national authorities with a direct voice within the EU's institutional framework....
.
See also
- ParlamentariumParlamentariumThe Parlamentarium is the visitors' centre of the European Parliament . Located in the Parliament's Espace Léopold complex in Brussels, it was officially inaugurated on 14 October 2011 by EP President Jerzy Buzek. It contains a permanent exhibition with hundreds of multimedia components, explaining...
- Brussels and the European UnionBrussels and the European UnionBrussels is considered to be the de facto capital of the European Union, having a long history of hosting the institutions of the European Union within its European Quarter...
- Seat of the European Parliament in StrasbourgSeat of the European Parliament in StrasbourgThe city of Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament. The institution is legally bound to meet there twelve sessions a year lasting about four days each. Other work takes place in Brussels and Luxembourg City...
- European Parliament in LuxembourgEuropean Parliament in LuxembourgThe European Parliament's presence in Sandweiler currently consists of the Parliament's secretariat, although the Parliament had held plenary sessions in the city for a brief period.-History:...
External links
- Map of the Parliament buildings EuroParl website
- Naming of the buildings EuroParl website
- Seat of the EP European Navigator
- Photos of construction behind the old station "gare du luxembourg" Gregory Halliday
- Photos of the construction of D4 & D5 Gregory Halliday
- Photos of construction of "Caprice des Dieux" (Dec 1993) Gregory Halliday
- Photo of D4 near completion Eupedia
- Interview with Michel Boucquillon, designer on the building Interiordesign.net
- Building(s) For Europe, website of a 2007 exhibition of EU buildings in Brussels
- European Parliament, Cerau
- History of the Building ape-europe.org