European Commission Headquarters
Berlaymont building, situated in Brussels’ European district at Rue de la Loi 200 / Wetstraat, is home to European Commission headquarters. It is one of the most prominent buildings housing EU and international institutions. The building got its name after the Dames du Berlaymont, the convent that occupied its site until 1960, then the Belgium state bought the plot and the convent moved to Waterloo. Three years later, the construction of the building started. It took six years and the building became the symbol of the European presence in Brussels. It was designed by architect Lucien De Vestel with the help of Jean Gilson, Jean and André Polaks. It consists of a cross-shaped tower in the shape of a star – with four wings radiating out from a central hub. The floors of the wings are supported by a steel structure hanged to pretension beams placed on the top of a narrow reinforced concrete structure.