Berlaymont

The Berlaymont building defines the Brussels skyline with its four jagged wings radiating from a central core like an enormous concrete star. This massive structure serves as the headquarters for the European Commission, housing the president and commissioners who steer the European Union. In nineteen ninety-one, engineers discovered the original construction contained massive amounts of loose asbestos, forcing everyone to evacuate. It sat completely empty for over a decade, a hollow, fenced-off shell, while crews stripped it down to the bare steel frame.