Nichtoffener Wettbewerb | 02/2021
Europäisches Parlament – Erneuerung Paul-Henri-Spaak-Gebäude in Brüssel (BE)
©Jabornegg & Pálffy / KUEHN MALVEZZI
2. Preis
Preisgeld: 100.000 EUR
Architektur
Architektur
Bauingenieurwesen
Erläuterungstext
DESIGN CONCEPT
Citizens House
The new parliament is the seat of the only EU institution that is directly elected by Europeans, consequently it can be described as a Citizens House: because it allows the work of the EU Parliament to be experienced through clear spatial settings it is open to citizens and invites them to identify with it.
Architectural Integration
Through the way it is articulated, the building communicates in a differentiated way with the urban spaces that surround it: the cubic plinth building is oriented towards Parc Léopold, while the sculptural Chamber faces towards the city. The park and the city are connected by the joint formed on all sides by the Visitors Plateau. The building’s tripartite character in urban space corresponds with an analogous structure in the interior, providing easy orientation for all user groups and a clearly understandable system of routes. The plinth building combines the functions Committee, Trilogue, Protocol and Media Area; the Visitors Plateau at the centre serves the public and offers a “Unique Experience”; the highpoint is the Chamber and the space of the Culture and Event Area.
Visitors Plateau
The Parliament’s exceptional significance for the citizens as the only directly democratically elected European institution is spatially expressed. The Visitors Plateau is the visible expression of the Parliament as a Citizens House and invites citizens to identify with the building and the institution. The Europe Gardens laid out on the roof of the Spinelli Building invite visitors to explore outdoors several characteristic European landscape spaces.
Outdoor Spaces
The new parliament building is integrated in its context by activating the outdoor spaces around it. Starting from Agora Simone Veil, which will be spatially accentuated by six striking Gleditsia trees, a carpet of natural stone from various parts of Europe, pieced together like mosaic, runs smoothly along two transparent routes and past a built-in panorama model of Europe situated at the central parliament entrance.
Security Concept
The security concept is based on a multi-layer protection strategy with security zones that are laid out concentrically for the most part. The protection goal of each zone varies according to the way the zone is operated and can change dynamically depending on the kind of use or also the risk assessment.
Chamber Concept
The upper volume containing the Chamber and the two halls used for cultural purposes rises emblematically above the plinth and the Spinellli Building to mark the end of the Rue du Luxemburg axis.
On both the city and park sides there are strong visual connections. Opening the Chamber to the city also allows a view from the city into the depths of the emblematic Parliament space.
Outside the plenary sessions, too, the Chamber is an exceptional location in Brussels and is open for cultural events. By regulating the mood of the lighting and the relationship to the city and through installations that use stage equipment it can be flexibly adapted to suit a variety of functions.
Beurteilung durch das Preisgericht
The project sets a clear and convincing new beginning with the claim to create a building for the citizens and their elected parliamentarians. In the symbolism as well as in the ac-tual organisation of the building, these are both equally central to the design and form the core for the great strength of the project, executed with a timeless design.
The building is composed of two volumes facing to the two opposite directions city centre and park, with the two large meeting rooms in their façades as shop windows of democ-racy, where the work of parliamentarians can be recognised from the outside and gives them in all rooms direct contact with the city and daylight. The top sculptural volume hosts the Chamber looking towards the city and the lower cubic volume contains the commissions room directed towards the Parc Leopold. A third element is established be-tween the two volumes, a spacious, attractive visitor terrace looking to both sides, Park and city, that invites citizens into and onto the building and creates a unique place of iden-tification that is equally suitable for selfies and TV interviews. It also links the new building to the SPINELLI building. The successful linking of city and park in the large-scale dimension through the volumes is complemented by the upgrading of the link at pedestrian level with a new central passage through the SPINELLI building.
Granting the visitors’ areas a meaning and a space in the chosen form, placed in the heart of the building, allowing to see the Parliament at work is highlighted by the jury as a great strength.
The strong iconic value of the proposal lies into the timelessness of the shape, complemented by its transparency and generosity of space: the entire building is glazed, and equipped with wide and generous spaces with high ceilings on all floors for air and daylight for all meeting rooms.
Beyond the quality of symbolic clarity and urban setting, the design is characterised by an excellent organisation of functions in the floor plans and the third dimension. Essential functions are correctly structured and clearly developed. The floor plans are simply and pragmatically organized, offering flexibility, adaptability and resilience and facilitate orien-tation inside the building.
The jury thus recognises a robust basic structure of the design proposal with conceptual and organisational strength that would allow for necessary further development and ad-aptation in the revision.
Ultimately this proposal provides an elegant architectural image that integrates well into the historic context with a typology being reinterpreted into a new language that will let this building stand out as one of the most of our time, leading the institution of the European Parliament into a future that will be highly relevant in the international cultural and political discourse.
©Jabornegg & Pálffy / KUEHN MALVEZZI
©Jabornegg & Pálffy / KUEHN MALVEZZI
©Jabornegg & Pálffy / KUEHN MALVEZZI
©Jabornegg & Pálffy / KUEHN MALVEZZI
Site plan
©Jabornegg & Pálffy / KUEHN MALVEZZI