Berlaymont

building, Brussels, Belgium

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July 20, 2026

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The Berlaymont is a prominent high-rise building in Brussels, Belgium, serving as the headquarters for the European Commission. Constructed between 1967 and 1969, it was designed by architect Lucien de Vestel and is characterized by its vast cruciform shape. The building has become an icon symbolizing European integration, though it has also been criticized for its modernist style and the demolition of older structures to make way for its expansion. Brussels itself is a major political center, serving as the capital of Belgium and hosting numerous European Union institutions, earning it the nickname "Capital of Europe".12

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…the European Commission’s headquarters, the Berlaymont—a vast cruciform high-rise building designed by Lucien de Vestel and constructed during 1967–69. The Berlaymont (or “Berlaymonster,” as its critics call it) has become an icon of European integration. Although the expansion of the European quarter has provoked controversy, as it necessitated the demolition…
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…the European Commission’s headquarters, the Berlaymont—a vast cruciform high-rise building designed by Lucien de Vestel and constructed during 1967–69. The Berlaymont (or “Berlaymonster,” as its critics call it) has become an icon of European integration. Although the expansion of the European quarter has provoked controversy, as it necessitated the demolition…
Read More