Schuman canopy falls victim to lack of Brussels government and budget concerns

A newly redesigned Schuman roundabout in Brussels' EU district will not get the grand canopy that was the focal point in the winning design, as the massive renovation project struggles to move forward amid a lack of Brussels government and budget woes.

Builder Beliris had asked Brussels' caretaker government for an answer about the future of the square by mid-September, after repeat requests for clarity.

According to a letter sent by Beliris to Brussels Mobility, and seen by Bruzz, the buildings agency now plans to go ahead with the redevelopment work on the assumption that no canopy will be built.

“For technical reasons, we need to know where we stand,” said spokesperson Sophie Saerens. The canopy would have required a foundation, and the drainage system will differ depending on whether or not it is installed.

Due to inflation, rising material costs and additional interventions, the cost of the square has risen from an original estimate of €30 million to €42 million.

Attempts were made to obtain extra funding from the European Commission and other European institutions, without success.

The tender for the enormous canopy over the square had to be completed by the end of June or else Brussels risked losing European Union recovery funds.

But because the Brussels government has been in caretaker mode for more than a year and is therefore unable to cover the additional costs, this crowning feature of the redesign will now not come to fruition.

“We cannot simply shift budgets around,” said Litte Frooninckx from the office of Brussels minister Elke Van Den Brandt (Groen).

Architect Francis De Wolf of the BRUT agency, which won the competition in 2017 together with the Danish agency COBE, expressed disappointment at the lack of clarity surrounding the project.

“It's very frustrating to win a competition and then see the project get bogged down in a political impasse,” he said.

“We’ve bought some time by already starting the reconstruction and working from the outside in, but now we need to know how to proceed.

“We won the competition in 2017, partly thanks to this monumental showpiece. If it’s not built, it will change the overall concept.”

According to Beliris, a new public inquiry will be necessary if the canopy is not built, which could significantly delay the construction work that is already been under way for almost a year.