A pan-European design collective called Europarc,
with teams from JDSA, Coldefy, CRA, NL and Ensamble, has won the
international competition organised by the European Parliament to renew the
Paul-Henri Spaak building in Brussels, also known as the “Caprice des Dieux”.
Although the visuals have finally been unveiled, nothing is clear about
the timeframe or the outcome of this major renovation project. Given the
current economic situation, it seems clear that the project, if it is
finally validated and budgeted, is not likely to see the light of day for at
least five years. The building in question, which is the centrepiece of the
whole complex and its nerve centre, has many shortcomings. The winning project
is based on the premise of avoiding demolition and reconstruction, which is
costly and unsustainable for the European authority in terms of CO2
impact.
One of the main ideas of Europarc, the
winning team, is to open up the site and strengthen the pedestrian routes and
connections to the adjacent Place du Luxembourg and Parc Léopold, creating a
better link between this closed-off complex and the city. The Hemicycle,
a new chamber for the European Parliament, will be located on the upper
levels of the building. It will be redesigned to integrate more modern
amenities that include a number of digital features to broaden external and
non-physical connections. Finally, a Green Agora, a rooftop botanical
garden and meeting place will be located at the highest point of the building, covering
but visually connected to the Hemicycle through an open ceiling.
Photo
credit: Europarc consortium
