The Brussels European Walk project
How the Schuman roundabout, institutional crossroads of Brussels' European quarter, is becoming a living memorial dedicated to the pioneers of Europe.
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Context and symbolic importance
The Schuman roundabout, located at the heart of Brussels' European quarter, is one of the most iconic places of the European Union. An institutional, diplomatic and symbolic crossroads, it is both a traffic hub and a landmark for citizens, European civil servants and visitors from around the world.
The original redevelopment project
A first, ambitious project envisaged a vast monumental esplanade, a complete reorganisation of traffic, and a strong scenographic design. However, the overall cost of the works and the maintenance charges they would have generated proved difficult to sustain. Several practical constraints linked to traffic density and security requirements led to the abandonment of this original project.
Why we reject the green-roofed dome
The official project currently being defended: a green-roofed dome at the centre of the roundabout.
A variant currently being defended proposes installing a vast dome topped with a green roof at the centre of the roundabout. We firmly oppose this: maintaining a green roof of this scale costs millions of euros over time, whereas a ground-level fountain is vastly cheaper to maintain. Worse still, a flat planted roof remains invisible to the vast majority of passers-by — only those working on the upper floors of the surrounding office towers can ever see it. A public square should benefit those who walk through it, not only those who glance down at it from their office window.
An accessible, living agora, planted at ground level
Our vision favours a sober, sustainable and genuinely accessible redevelopment: a large pedestrian agora, a ground-level fountain rather than a rooftop one, and greenery that is visible and planted at street level — trees and flower beds people can walk past, touch and inhabit, not a lawn perched out of sight. Rather than an architectural gesture with high upkeep costs, the project focuses on bringing Europe's intangible heritage into the light and on greenery citizens can genuinely experience.
The European Walk concept
The European Walk turns the Schuman roundabout into a large pedestrian agora connected to Rue de la Loi and its surroundings. At its heart, the twelve stars of the European flag are carved into the ground around a dry fountain: water jets rise directly from the paving, with no visible basin. An inner promenade lets visitors walk all the way around it. Further out, a second ring holds 20 golden stars — each bearing the name of a founding father or pioneer of European construction, engraved with a discreet QR code linking to the multilingual digital platform European Visionaries. An outer promenade closes the ensemble, before the six thematic paths radiate out into the district.
Six thematic paths radiating from the agora
From this central agora, six thematic paths radiate towards different districts of Brussels, following the streets adjoining the roundabout. Each axis highlights a facet of European construction — founding fathers, peace, democracy, economy, culture, youth — embodied by personalities that citizens can discover, support or complete.
Partners and governance
The project was born from a joint initiative of the Federation of European Press Clubs, the European Federation of Journalists, the Brussels-Capital Region Parliament and the European Parliament. Its operational coordination is entrusted to the Press Club Brussels Europe, under the supervision of a Steering Committee. The Brussels-Capital Region, the City of Brussels and the Representation of the European Commission in Belgium support its implementation.
An independent European jury
The selection of honoured personalities is entrusted to an independent European jury of 27 members, one per Member State, drawn from Press Clubs and journalists' associations. Every two years, the jury selects new personalities according to objective criteria: commitment to peace, democracy and solidarity; concrete and lasting impact; exemplarity for future generations. Each selection is marked by an official inauguration ceremony.
Expected impact
By turning a place of transit into a destination, the European Walk will boost the attractiveness of the European quarter, offer wide media visibility through the involvement of Press Clubs and the European press, and pass on to future generations the story of the women and men who shaped Europe.
Visualising the project
A visualisation video imagines what the redeveloped Schuman roundabout could look like, with its central ring shaped like European stars.