BERLAYMONT BUILDING

Description

Essentials about the Berlaymont Builing in brief

This building most people know from the news. Almost every time there is news of the European Union from Brussels, the Berlaymont Building can be seen in the background. As the seat of the EU Commission and other important EU institutions, the Berlaymont is, after all, the symbol of the European Union in stone. The striking, cross-shaped building is located at the Rond-Point Robert Schuman traffic circle, in the east of Brussels city center. The Berlaymont can only be visited from the outside – unfortunately, guided tours are not offered.

The history and architecture of the Berlaymont Building

The name “Berlaymont” goes back to a convent of the Augustinian Order founded in 1625 as “Couvent des Dames de Berlaymont” (“Convent of the Ladies of Berlaymont”), which stood on the site of the present Berlaymont Building from 1864.

In 1960, the Belgian state acquired the area. The cruciform design of the Berlaymont Building was penned by the architect Lucien de Vestel. Built between 1963 and 1967, the Berlaymont required extensive renovation from 1992 to 2004 due to asbestos contamination. In 2004, the European Commission acquired the building from the Belgian state. With almost 50 elevators, over 30 conference rooms and around 900 meeting rooms, the Berlaymont is one of the largest administrative buildings in Europe and is therefore often mocked as the “Berlaymonster”.

The institutions in the Berlaymont building

The Berlaymont building is the seat of the European Commission. It houses the offices of the President of the European Commission and the other Commissioners and their staff. Furthermore, the Berlaymont houses the offices of the General Secretariat, the Legal Service and the Press Officer of the European Commission.