# BRUSSELS | European Quarter



## Pitchoune (Jun 17, 2009)

I will post here some pictures of the European quarter, all of them are taken inside the red perimeter of the thread first map.

The European quarter was urbanised in the 19th century and was known as the Leopold district, it was a wealthy part of Brussels, at the east and up from the medieval center. It was full of beautiful houses and buildings but in from the 60's as Brussels gained international importance most of these houses were destroyed to let place to ugly modern buildings. Recently the district and quality of buildings is slowly improving again. Today it is one of the most important business districts of Brussels with 3.4 millions square meters for office space (whose 1 million for European institutions http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-09-94_en.htm). The European quarter is deserved by two train stations (Schuman and Luxembourg) and two metro stations (Maalbeek and Schuman). The old building of the Luxembourg station built in 1854 (not anymore in use by the station, just an information center today) is one of the oldest still standing train station buildings in Europe. In the European quarter you can see the official seats of the European council and commission, although you can also see the European parliament its official seat is in Strasbourg, France.

1. Luxembourg square with the old Luxembourg station building in the foreground and the European parliament in the background, the statue is for John Cockerill.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110451_zpsd03a814b.jpg

2. The Solidarnosc Esplanade which covers the railway tracks of the Luxembourg station and which is surrounded by the European parliament. It is named in honour of the Solidarnosc (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidarity_(Polish_trade_union)).








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3. Esplanade Solidarnosc 1980








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4. Art Deco twin residential towers built in the 30's on the Meeus square, among the first "skyscrapers" of Brussels, one has been renovated a few years ago, the other not yet.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110454_zpsf05e7794.jpg.html

5. An office building in Belliard avenue, recently restaured.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110456_zps1dae1af4.jpg.html

6. New office and residential building on the Frère Orban square.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110458_zpsd1de8c52.jpg.html

7. The main church of the district, Frère Orban square.








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8. Once the European quarter was full of houses like this ... Frère Orban square.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110462_zpsf952ea96.jpg.html

9. Loi/Wet avenue, the white building on the left is a recently built hotel.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110465_zpsf52bd00d.jpg.html

10. Hopefully more and more residential buildings are built now in the European quarter which is traditionally seen as a European ghetto dead in the night, here an office building is converted in flats. 








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110466_zpsf0241eaa.jpg.html

11. The Berlaymont building, seat of the European commission, its name comes from an old religious couvent which was destroyed for the current building.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110469_zps41573927.jpg.html

12. A new building for the European council, between the Berlaymont on the left and the Charlemagne on the right.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110476_zps8b3a28fd.jpg.html

13. Between all these buildings you have railway and metro lines crossing at the Schuman station, which is under restructuration at the moment.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110474_zpse7e9406e.jpg.html

14. The platform on which I was is for the metro, the way up is for a new railway line connecting the European quarter directly to the national Airport in less than 15 minutes.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110473_zps3d052ecd.jpg.html

15. The Charlemagne building, also for the European commission.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110478_zps31f8d5e9.jpg.html

More pictures tomorrow!


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## Slartibartfas (Aug 15, 2006)

Great overview of the European quarter!


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## Jongeheer (Sep 19, 2010)

Thanks for the posts guys! I had pretty much forgotten about this thread once I created it


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## Pitchoune (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks both!

@Jongeheer, your thread is cool, and as it woke up recently I'm trying to make a complete overview of the quarter 

And now some pictures of the residential area just next to the European quarter, it is one of the wealthiest parts of Brussels. You can also see there a few Art Nouveau houses.

16. The Charlemagne and the sharp distinction at this place between the 21th century european building and the 19th residential area.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110485_zpsd0fbe83e.jpg.html

17. The "crowned" building is the seat of the European Anti-Fraud Office (if you look at their website you can see that it is translated into 25 languages http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/index_en.htm, as normally all EU-related official websites)








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110480_zpsa121452f.jpg.html

18. Art Nouveau: the Hôtel van Eetvelde, designed by Victor Horta in 1895 and UNESCO-heritage with other Art Nouveau houses of Horta.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110488_zps8b65ce45.jpg.html

19. Square Marie Louise








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110492_zpsa22ee64c.jpg.html

20. Art Nouveu: the Saint-Cyr house, designed by Gustrave Strauven and completed in 1903, on the Square Ambiorix. The house has been recently restaured.








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110495_zps97d18cfa.jpg.html

21. Details








http://s1185.photobucket.com/user/inspiration9/media/P1110496_zpsce167d78.jpg.html

22. The Lex building, which hosts a part of the European council. It connects de Loi/Wet avenue to the Chaussée d'Etterbeek/Etterbeekse Steenweg.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110499_zpsbb6a0247.jpg.html

23. Chaussée d'Etterbeek/Etterbeekse Steenweg, with the Residence Palace on the right: it is a complex of 3 buidings whose one is a press center, in another one the Egg building in picture 12 is beeing built (the Art Deco facade beeing preserved). The Residence Palace is an Art Deco complex completed in 1927 by Michel Polak and it was initially a luxuous residential complex. Just in front of it is under completion new residence.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110501_zpsb380a490.jpg.html

24. A new hotel and residential building on Jean Ray square, next to the Leopold park.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110502_zps774916c7.jpg.html

25. The Belview residential and office complex, also on Jean Ray square, this part of the European quarter was running down a few years ago but now all urban holes are filled with new constructions.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110506_zps3958e1fe.jpg.html

26. Leopold park, here you have the Lycée Emile Jacqmain: an Art Nouveau building school (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycée_Émile_Jacqmain, still today, I was in this Lycée actually), it was also used in the past for prestigious scientific meetings with Einstein, Curie, Planck, Pointcaré, Lorentz, Bohr, Schrödinger and many others. It has been recently restaured as well. On the right you can see the Eastman building, an Art Deco building converted into the European House of History, a new museum under construction.








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27. Lycée Emile Jacqmain








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110343_zpsaf894f01.jpg.html

27. A Solvay conference in 1927, the picture is taken on the stairs of the Lycée Emile Jacqmain (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-...AAACE/zoD5AlFlev4/s0/51cc3373048f7c36970b.jpg)








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/51cc3373048f7c36970b_zps1ac1737c.jpg.html

28. European House of History








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110342_zps9faf5195.jpg.html

29. The Schuman Roudabount, this is the heart of the European quarter of Brussels, you have the Berlaymont and the Charlemagne on the right, which host the European commission, on the left you the Justus Lipsius, the Residence Palace with the Egg under construction and the Lex building that host the European council. On the roof of the Justus Lipsius you can see small boxes next to the cranes; they are used by snipers during european meetings. Between all these building you have Loi/Wet avenue under which you have a metro and railway lines, the Schuman train/metro station and a new railway line under construction which goes under the Residence Palace and the Berlaymont.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110510_zpsc360ff50.jpg.html

30. Zoom Loi/Wet avenue, this avenue is always jammed.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110511_zps22a9a2ee.jpg.html

31. Let's explore now the Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark, it is a park full of museums, the complex has been built to celebrate the 50 years of Belgium (Independance of Belgium: 1830). You have the Army museum, the aviation museum, and Autoworld, all three are excellent museums, they worth a visit. Here below you have the Army museum main hall.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110514_zpse4c69df2.jpg.html

32. The great mosque: a mosque and islamic centre built in the 60's.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110512_zpsf9f6a0cf.jpg.html

33. The Triumphal Arch of the Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark, all others buildings were ready for the 50 years of the independance celebration, but the present Arch was built a bit late in 1904. It is 30 meters wide and 45 meters high. Its financing is less prestigious though as it has partly been financed by the king Leopold II with money coming from the exploitation of the congolese rubber.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110515_zpsb550e00a.jpg.html

More pictures from the museum complex and the panoramic terrace tomorrow.


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## Pitchoune (Jun 17, 2009)

Last part of this overview about the European Quarter.

Today the Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark is a big museum complex hosting the Army museum, the aviation museum, the Autoworld and an Art museum. You can also reach a panoramic terrace at the top of the arch for free.

34. The entrance of the Army museum








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110518_zps2bf15b24.jpg.html

35. The Aviation museum, you have a complete overview of the aviation with civil or military planes from all periods. For instance, up you you have a Caravelle; the first medium-sized airliner (1955).








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110521_zps02d060d8.jpg.html

36. The entrance of the Autoworld, it is maybe one of the best museums about automobiles in the world as Belgium was one of the leaders of the automotive industry at the beginning with constructors such as Minerva or Imperia. Therefore the collection iof old cars s of high quality. (Unfortunately nothing can be observed from the outside.)








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110527_zps8e51c8b5.jpg.html

37. To reach the panoramic terrace you have to go through some rooms of the Army museum, here the kind of things you can see.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110520_zps8e1c7682.jpg.html

38. The panoramic terrace








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110550_zpsdee6771b.jpg.html

39. View towards the city center; actually you cannot see the historical center and its medieval skyline as it is in a "valley" behind the "hill" in front of us








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110534_zpsede0dd06.jpg.html

40. The Loi/Wet avenue that goes through the European Quarter, it is 2km long.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110541_zps98c99878.jpg.html

41. The North District, another business district of Brussels.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110538_zps87a08882.jpg.html

42. The European Parliament complex








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110542_zps6e922b72.jpg.html

43. The view towards the other side, to the outskirts of Brussels, in the background you have the Sonian Forest (4421 hectares)








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110531_zps4032fc70.jpg.html

44. An at last; the Atomium, approximately 7km from the where I stood.








http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/inspiration9/P1110549_zps758268fa.jpg.html


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## towerpower123 (Feb 12, 2013)

That looks incredible, almost like Paris!!!


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## EduardSA (Apr 28, 2008)

Progress on Schuman Station. You'll see in two pics where they're testing out the new wall fittings. Rest are works on the new tunnel at the station for the Airport line. 



Filou said:


> Nog maar een keer:
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KAAAZ said:


> The new wall fitting (still choosing between silver or gold metal balls in the ground as the separator line):
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> ...


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## EduardSA (Apr 28, 2008)

European Council Building Update:



Phoenyxar said:


> Die grijze top lijkt nieuw en nee, er steekt nog steeds geen glas in... Maar het dak is er wel al!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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