Ode to Joy

In summer 2023, the European Commission announced the biggest single real estate operation in the history of Brussels: to sell 50% of its buildings. In order to achieve the goal for climate neutrality by 2030, the EC is in fact abandoning their allegedly «underperforming» building stock, bundled in one portfolio of 350.000 m². Ode to Joy proposes an alternative to the commercialization of institutional space by implementing a leasehold system for the sales process: The state gets to keep the land while dwellers will own their homes just the EC will own its offices. The plotting of commercial against social function is turned around. Focusing on îlot 130, a building block at the intersection of the residential and institutional axis of the European quarter, the programme combines the offices of the institution with dwellings and the Brussels Centre for Urban Studies. Office space is reduced to 50%, creating over 30% housing, most of which is far below market price.