The European Parliament

Abstract

The 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 2007 is emblematic for the 50th birthday of the European project itself. This symbolic point in time presents the ideal opportunity to turn the spotlight on the current and future role of Brussels as the Capital of Europe. What image does Brussels want to project as a capital city within the European Union and beyond? What are the indisputable qualities of the European presence in Brussels? How can Brussels consciously do justice to its European mission and be a true embodiment of the European political project? Led by Pier Vittorio Aureli and Elia Zenghelis, an international team of 16 architects and urban planners who are associated with the Berlage Institute investigated these questions and devised a plan for the possible future of the Capital of Europe. Brussels- A Manifesto is a pamphlet that treats the city's self evident, hidden or forgotten qualities as building blocks for a tangible project that revolves around the relations between the European institutions and the city. By adopting this perspective, the pamphlet makes the discussion about the future of the European Union and its capital city concrete, palpable and accessible, rescuing it from a discourse that often remains abstract. The project of the new Parliament of the European Union expose a possible approach to monumental public architecture in Brussels.