A laboratory for the city of Europe

WORKSHOP TOPICS: 1/ EU symbolic presence The sheltering of European institutions in a generic business district in the Leopold area fails to communicate anything about European values and democracy. The Berlaymont building, the only building that gradually gained emblematic value, was irrevocably mutilated during the last renovation campaign. How can architectural, urban or landscape interventions compensate for this symbolic deficit and lack of imagination? What programs, typologies and forms can be implemented in a relevant way through a European project? And where? 2/ EU-valley The public space between the main sites of the European institutions, situated in the so-called Maelbeek valley, is currently fragmented. However, it is precisely in this area that the creation of a coherent and inspiring plan can contribute to a renewed image of the European project. How can we solve this problem through urban surgery? 3/ Security Security measures have an increasing influence on the organization and accessibility of the various institutions, often claiming public space for specialized security buildings. Do we need to incorporate these security perimeters as much as possible into buildings or simply give it a presence in the city? How do designers deal with this issue? 4/ E-government Thanks to advanced electronic treatment of administrative processes - a competence in which Estonia has emerged as a leader in recent years - we can expect an overload of office space becoming available on the market in the upcoming decades. What consequences does this have for the European institutions and the district in which many administrative services are housed? How can architects and designers deal with this fact? 5/ Mirror of Europe With its demographic composition and geographical distribution across the different districts of Brussels, the capital of Europe is often compared to a miniature version of the Europe of regions and nation-states. On a relatively small area many communities cohabit, with a diversity of cultures and languages. How can architecture and urbanism respond to this diversity?status: publishe