‘The European Union is planning a major makeover of its headquarters in Brussels. The ambitious design by French architect Christian de Portzamparc aims to transform the European Quarter from a concrete administrative ghetto into a glimmering ‘open city to the sky.’World-famous French architect Christian de Portzamparc is the man in charge of turning these ambitions into reality. He designed the Cité de la Musique in Paris and luxury product conglomerate Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton’s elegant, eccentric glass tower in New York. Now, having won the European Quarter’s urban development competition, he wants to ‘open’ the Rue de la Loi’s ’sad, long corridor.’

Portzamparc’s future Rue de la Loi is a brave new world, with bicycles lanes and measures for reducing traffic. White trams glide along a strip of velvety green in the middle of the street. Small, attractive trees cast shadows across wide sidewalks with green plants and happily strolling people. The buildings are tall with attractive facades. They ‘open the city to the sky,’ Portzamparc says. And the immense new building he wants to place into this EU Commission fairy tale world will have such radiance that it will be able to ’speak to Europe and to the world,’ the architect says.’

Via: www.spiegel.de.

La rue de la Loi, the administrative heart of the EC in Brussels, is to be redesigned by French architect Christian de Portzamparc, one of five shortlisted in an international competition for the project. 35 firms entered the international competition hosted by the Brussels Capital Region in collaboration with the European Commission and the City of Brussels.

The competition is part of a grander plan to turn the European District in the city into a pilot eco-district. The aim for the Rue de la Loi itself is to add structure and easy navigation and to create accessible quality public space to the area which is currently dominated by offices and lacks a sense of culture and community. ‘Soft’ or ecologically friendly modes of transport are to be encouraged.

Portzamparc’s design (in collaboration with Jacques Wirtz, Coteba Belgium and OVE ARUP) will add a tram link through the street and 390,000 sq m of floor space including 110,000 sq m of accommodation, 240,000 sq m of EC department space and 40,000 sq m of retail.

Out of the five shortlisted projects judges also commended a design by Fletcher Priest Architects for its human scale and public spaces and, in particular, for its inherent sustainability.

The shortlisted candidates were:

*Christian de Portzamparc (F) in collaboration with Jacques Wirtz (B), Coteba Belgium (B) and OVE ARUP (UK)

*Fletcher Priest Architects (UK) in collaboration with WIT Architekten (B), ARUP (UK) et Davis Langdon (UK)

*Xaveer de Geyter Architecten (B) in collaboration with Michel Desvigne Paysagiste (F), Laurent Ney & Partners (B), TRITEL Mobilité (B) and Resource Analysis (B)

*OMA (NL) in collaboration with NFArchitects (B), Agence TER (F), OVE ARUP (UK), DEGW (UK) and SETEC Partenaire Développement (F)

*JDS Architects (DK and B) in collaboration avec Studio Associato Secchi-Vigano (I), 3E (B), Laurent Ney & Partners (B) and TRITEL Mobilité (B)

The five shortlisted projects will be exhibited in Brussels in June this year. The winning design will be elaborated upon over the next two years with works expected to commence in 2011.