Contracts to build the new £285M headquarters for the European Union’s Council of Europe in Brussels will shortly be awarded. The building will open in 2013 opposite the famous Berlaymont building which houses the European Commission.
It is expected to be one of the most environmentally friendly buildings in Europe, with an umbrella of solar panels and facilities to recycle rainwater minimising the building’s carbon footprint. The 27,000m² building is an urn-shaped structure housed behind a square glass façade. It is designed by Buro Happold for architects Samyn & Partners in Belgium and Studio Valle Progettazioni in Italy. Piling is expected to begin in December.
