Dominik Gehl Photography - Paul-Henri Spaak Building

The Paul-Henri Spaak building in Brussels, named after the former President, houses the European Parliament’s hemicycle, the press centre, and offices for the President and senior staff. Following a 1988 architectural competition, Michel Boucquillon’s winning design gave the building its distinctive oval shape, symbolizing unity. The façade emphasizes transparency, democracy, and citizen accessibility.

Paul-Henri Spaak Building - facade

Confluences by Olivier Strebelle is a major donation from the artist, offered as a personal contribution to the European project. It is seamlessly embedded within the spiral staircase of the Paul-Henri Spaak building, which both supports and envelops it. The sculpture's trunk represents the Union, the branches symbolize the Member States, and their convergence is a metaphor for the diplomatic interdependence and collaboration.

Paul-Henri Spaak Building - atrium

Paul-Henri Spaak Building - atrium with "Confluences" sculpture by Olivier Strebelle

The hemicycle’s hall was conceived as a sober, comfortable, and human-scale space to foster dialogue and collaboration.

Paul-Henri Spaak Building - hemicycle

The European Parliament also maintains a significant collection of contemporary art, displayed throughout the institution’s buildings and integrated into its public and working spaces. Among them "Warhol I" by Marco Blažo, "Wall" by Polish artist Anna Baumgart and "Lines of Migration" by Ruth Bianco.