Espace Léopold
The Espace Léopold (French; commonly used in English) or Leopoldruimte (Dutch; ⓘ) is the complex of parliament buildings in Brussels, Belgium, housing the European Parliament, a legislative chamber of the European Union (EU). It consists of a number of buildings, primarily the oldest, the Paul-Henri Spaak building, which houses the debating chamber and the President's offices, and the Altiero Spinelli building, which is the largest. The buildings are located in the European Quarter of Brussels, with construction starting in 1989.
| Espace Léopold | |
|---|---|
The Parliamentary hemicycle | |
| General information | |
| Type | Parliament building |
| Architectural style | Postmodern |
| Address | Rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60 |
| Town or city | 1047 City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region |
| Country | Belgium |
| Coordinates | 50°50′19″N 4°22′34″E |
| Current tenants | European Parliament |
| Construction started | 1989 |
| Completed |
|
| Inaugurated | 1993 |
| Owner | n.v. Forum Leopold s.a. |
| Height | 61 m (200 ft) |
| Dimensions | |
| Diameter | 142 m (466 ft) |
| Other dimensions | 87,000 m2 (940,000 sq ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 17 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Michel Boucquillon with "Association des Architectes du CIC" & Atelier Espace Léopold |
| Structural engineer | Tractebel |
| Other designers | Michel Boucquillon |
| Main contractor | CFE |
The complex is not the official seat of the European Parliament, which is the Louise Weiss building in Strasbourg, France, but as most of the other institutions of the European Union are in Brussels, the Parliament built the Brussels complex to be closer to its activities. A majority of the Parliament's work is now geared to its Brussels site, but it is legally bound to keep Strasbourg as its official home.