The European Quarter ( French Quartier européen , Dutch. Europese wijk , English European Quarter ) is the unofficial name of the quarter in Brussels , where the main part of the Brussels offices of the European Union is located . It is located in the triangle between the Brussels park , Fiftieth Anniversary Park and Leopold Park .
| European quarter | |
|---|---|
| fr. Quartier européen , the Netherlands. Europese wijk European quarter | |
 European quarter aerial view | |
| A country | |
| City | Brussels |
History
A significant part of the modern European quarter was known in the past as the Leopold quarter and was a residential area of the city. However, the transformation of the quarter into an office block began in 1958, after the World Insert , when the offices of companies and banks began to move here, followed by European government structures [1] . A significant part of historical buildings has been replaced by modern office buildings. Construction was carried out without any master plan, so many buildings were erected by private companies in places where otherwise they would not have been built [2] . On the other hand, the Brussels authorities made efforts to consolidate the status of the European capital for the city, and therefore made significant investments in the infrastructure of the quarter [3] . Over time, however, the state took control of construction in its hands, replacing chaotic development with planned [4] and adopting a master development plan [5] .
Buildings
The building of the European Commission and the Council of Europe are located on Lua Street, not far from Schumann Square and the railway station of the same name. The European Parliament is located in Leopold Park on Luxembourg Square, next to the Brussels-Luxembourg Railway Station [6] .
(committees)
Luxembourg
Jean Ray
Malbek
Palmerston
Square
Ambiorix
Marguerite
Frere Orban
Meus
European Quarter Opinions
Land use in the quarter has been criticized from different angles. For example, former European Commission President Romano Prodi calls the quarter an administrative ghetto isolated from the rest of the city [4]
Architect Benoit Moritz believes that since the mid-19th century the area has been an elite enclave surrounded by much poorer areas, as in underdeveloped countries. Nevertheless, the architect admits that over the past decades, the authorities have made significant efforts to reduce imbalances, to attract business and housing developers to the districts [7] .
Architect Rem Koolhaas believes the quarter lacks a visual symbol that could become the hallmark of Europe, like the Coliseum or the Eiffel Tower . Others, such as Umberto Eco , believe that Brussels should be a soft capital , and not the imperial capital of Europe [4] .
Notes
- ↑ Demey, Thierry. Brussels, Capital of Europe. - Brussels: Badeaux, 2007 .-- P. 72.
- ↑ Demey, 2007: p.216-7
- ↑ The European Quarter . Archived March 12, 2008. , Brussels-Europe Liaison Office (2008-07-20)
- ↑ 1 2 3 Zucchini, Giulio Brussels, a soft capital (unavailable link) . Café Babel (October 18, 2006). Date of treatment September 9, 2008. Archived January 8, 2009.
- ↑ EU promises' facelift 'for Brussels' European quarter . EurActiv (September 6, 2007). Date of treatment February 26, 2015.
- ↑ European Commission publication: Europe in Brussels 2007
- ↑ Is the EU's new council building a desperate attempt to change its image? . The Guardian (January 30, 2015). Date of treatment February 26, 2015.