EUROPA:
the beating heart of Europe

Circles, ellipses and squares; a lantern within a cube; a blend of old and new… The Europa building unites form and function and has become a political and architectural icon since it opened for work in 2017.

The Europa building is at the centre of the EU district in Brussels and at the centre of the EU's decision-making.

This is where Europe's presidents, prime ministers and ministers meet to discuss and decide the issues that are essential to the European Union's future.

From the inside the lantern is a place of activity and work. From the outside it is a symbol of political hope and unity.

We need to step back in time to understand its origins – specifically, to 2001. That year EU leaders decided that, for practical reasons, EU summits should take place in Brussels.

In the decades until then, the European Council meetings took place in a different country each time. This came at a considerable logistical and financial cost.

In 2004, the EU had its largest expansion to date, with ten new member states joining the Union. The Council's existing facilities in Brussels became too small as they were conceived when the EU had fewer member states.

The same year EU leaders agreed to build a new headquarters for the Council. In 2007, the preliminary design was approved, opening the way for the first works on the site. 

The actual construction started in 2011. The lantern-shaped metal structure was installed between June 2012 and December 2013. The wooden façade was finalised in June 2014. Works continued inside the building in the years that followed.

At the start of 2017, Europa was fully functional, and the Foreign Affairs Council was the first to hold a meeting in the new building. 

Europa is not an entirely a brand new building. In fact, about forty per cent of Europa is formed by parts of the Résidence Palace, a beautiful listed art deco complex dating from 1927. 

Its architect, Michel Polak, designed the Résidence Palace as 'small city within a city'. Inside, you could find a bank, a post office, restaurants, a theatre, a swimming pool, a gym and even a fencing hall.

It was the biggest apartment building in Europe at the time. After the Second World War, the building was transformed into office space.

Today, the historical art deco features have been preserved and restored as much as possible. This includes the original staircases and the magnificent arcades on the ground floor that used to be lined with luxury goods.

The historical part of the Residence Palace hosts the offices of all the national delegations and the office of the President of the European Council.

If you walk around the building, you will be struck by the colourful pattern adorning the floors, ceilings, carpets — and even lift shafts.

The multicoloured surface creates a feeling of light and warmth throughout the building. The joyful pattern features 62 colours in total. 

The coloured blocks were designed by Belgian painter and artist Georges Meurant, who has been creating such patterns since the 1980s.

His work is inspired by Kasai embroideries from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose geometries "trap the eye in endless journeys".