Laying the groundwork for Parliament’s SPAAK building renovation 

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.

The Parliament will renovate the Paul-Henri Spaak building in Brussels to bring it up to latest environmental, technical and security standards.

The European Parliament will renovate the Paul-Henri Spaak (SPAAK) building to meet the latest energy efficiency and environmental standards as approved by Parliament’s Bureau and Committee on Budgets. The renovation is necessary to address a number of shortcomings, including on security and fire safety, and to modernise ageing building systems that no longer meet today’s standards. The building hosts one of Parliament’s plenary chambers (hemicycle), meeting rooms, offices as well as the press and visitors’ area. The €455 million (value April 2023) investment will be spread over the years 2024-2031.

In mid-February 2026, Parliament will submit the renovation permit to the local authorities (Urban). The objective is for the actual renovation works to start at the beginning of 2027 and to inaugurate the renovated hemicycle in 2030, the year Belgium as a host Member State celebrates the 200th anniversary of its independence.

Environmental performance

A major part of the works will be directed at significantly improving the environmental performance of the SPAAK building, including its energy efficiency in line with Parliament’s commitment to these issues and with obligations under EU and national legislation. The renovation will enable important savings on energy and maintenance costs. It will also upgrade the security and durability of the building.

The renovation of the building aims to achieve a nearly zero-energy and zero-emission status, implement a proactive rainwater management system, and significantly reduce waste and carbon footprint through circularity principles and life-cycle assessment of materials. The protection and enhancement of biodiversity on the site and in its surroundings will also form an integral part of this strategy. The building will be independently certified under the DGNB global sustainability standard with an objective to achieve the gold certification level.

As a result of these measures, the building’s CO₂ emissions are expected to decrease significantly, supporting the goal of making it one of the greenest parliamentary buildings in the world.

Improving functionality and openness

The renovated building will retain the current building’s functions while optimising them. It will include new dedicated spaces to host interinstitutional negotiations (trilogues).

The European Parliament is open to the citizens it represents, and one aim of the renovation is to convey these values, and engage with citizens.

The renovation will therefore ensure a better visual integration of the building into its surroundings while maintaining its existing shape and preserving most of its structure. A new multilayered facade will bring in more light, improving the building’s spatial overview, energy performance, internal connectivity and openness to the outside world.

Parliament’s activities in Brussels will be guaranteed throughout the renovation.

Next steps

The project is currently in the preliminary design phase including the preparation of the permit request. In parallel, Parliament is preparing the tender for the renovation works. Pending permit approval, the objective is for the actual works to start in the beginning of 2027 and to inaugurate the renovated hemicycle in 2030 – the year Belgium as a host Member State celebrates the 200th anniversary of its independence.

More information on the building in the background note.