Schuman roundabout

Schuman Roundabout (Dutch: Schumanplein, French: Rond-point Schuman), or Schuman Square, is a roundabout at the end of the Wetstraat / Rue de la Loi in Brussels that serves as a focus for major institutions of the European Union (EU).

Schuman roundabout, Brussels.

It is named after Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the European Union and gives its name to the surrounding district (also known as the European Quarter) and Schuman station. The major buildings next to it are the Berlaymont building, headquarters of the European Commission, and the Justus Lipsius building, used to hold low-level meetings of the Council of the European Union and provide office space to the Council secretariat.

The roundabout is just to the east of the metro segment of Schuman station, which connects to heavy rail. The station is undergoing renovation to improve its interchange and link it to a new regional railway via a new tunnel. There are already a web of rail and road tunnels running under and around the roundabout.

The area is to see some major rebuilding as EU offices are converted into shops and other civilian uses and the roundabout will be converted into one of three pedestrian squares, the theme of the new Place Schumanplein will concentrate on "policy and politics" (see Brussels and the EU#Future for details).

  • Headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels (Berlaymont building)
  • The Capital (Atelier d'architecture de Genval, 2001-2009)
  • Building by architect Antoine Varlet (1928)

Roads meeting at the roundabout
  • Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat runs west-north-west towards the centre of Brussels, one-way. It also continues east-south-east for a short distance towards the western end of Cinquantenaire park. The bulk of the traffic on this main carriageway avoids the roundabout by taking the tunnel underneath, the road becoming Avenue de Tervueren / Tervurenlaan and heading out of Brussels east / east-south-east towards Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and eventually Tervuren.
  • Kortenberglaan / Avenue de Cortenbergh leads north-east towards Schaerbeek and Place de Jamblinne de Meux. The Rue Belliard / Belliardstraat tunnel also follows this route, leading out towards Diamant premetro station and the E40.
  • Archimedestraat / Rue Archimède leads north towards Square Ambiorix.
  • Avenue d'Auderghem / Oudergemselaan runs south-east through the middle of Etterbeek, towards the La Chasse junction and Auderghem.
  • Rue Froissart / Froissartstraat is one of the smaller roads leaving the roundabout, heading towards Place Jourdan.
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References

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