The Résidence Palace building project in Brussels is progressing. The aim is for these new premises to house the European Summits and the meetings of Ministers starting from 2013. As the EU Member States wished, the building will be a reference for sustainable development.

The new building will meet the security and functionality requirements indispensable for the organisation of high-level meetings, thus enabling the Council to work more effectively. Furthermore, journalists covering the Council's activities will have work spaces more suited to their needs, as additional areas have been planned for the press.

The project combines the renovation of an Art Deco building of the inter-war period with a new construction, the whole being conceived with an emphasis on energy-saving and respect for the environment, it follows.The new façade will be composed of a patchwork of traditional wood-frame windows from different European countries. Solar panels will be installed on the roof and rainwater will be recycled, following the rules fixed by the Energy Efficiency in Buildings Directive.

In June 2009, the project received the Green Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.

The project is the work of Philippe Samyn & Partners – Studio Valle Progetttazioni – Buro Happold, architects and engineers. This joint venture was winner of a European competition in 2005, in which the projects were submitted anonymously.

The next stage in the building process will be the awarding of contracts for the reconstruction work, which will be in October 2009.