Art and architecture of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg

The Council of Europe 47 member states

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, ”The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.

The prestigious architecture and artwork presented in this guide are emblematic of the cultural diversity which both defines the Council of Europe and empowers it.

The Council, established in 1949, is dedicated to the promotion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in its 47 member states and among its 800 million citizens. It works to provide practical solutions to the social, cultural and legal challenges in its member states, regularly reviewing its strategies in order to meet Europe’s changing needs.

Location map

A cultural guide

The buildings 1 Palais de l'Europe 2 Human Rights Building 3 Agora 4 European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare (EDQM) 5 European Audiovisual Observatory 6 Former Human Rights Building 7 European Youth Centre

The Council of Europe, a seat and symbol of international democracy, is part of Strasbourg’s rich artistic and architectural landscape. Its buildings and artwork contribute to a fascinating and inspiring history of craftsmanship and design that dates from medieval times to the present day.

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The works of art 1 Human rights 2 Europe 3 Four-Leaved Clover 4 Statue of Poseidon 5 "Aux victimes de la faim" 6 Auschwitz Memorial 7 Interpenetration 8 The Berlin Wall (portion) 9 The Petrified Seven

More information on the Council of Europe is available at

www.coe.int

Edited by the Public Relations Division in cooperation with the Directorate of Logistics Graphic design: insécable, Strasbourg © Photos: Council of Europe January 2009

Art and architecture of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg

This heritage is at the heart of the city’s prestigious international stature. The following buildings and works of art can be viewed during a visit to the European quarter around the Palais de l’Europe, close to the Orangerie park.

A European welcome A row of flagpoles proudly flying the national colours of the 47 Council of Europe member states greets visitors to the Palais de l’Europe.

Moving up the steps towards the entrance, the famous European flag, with its circle of 12 gold stars against a vivid blue background, provides a harmonious welcome to one of the Council’s key buildings.

* Buildings forming part of the City of Strasbourg’s renowned modern architecture

The buildings...

European Youth Centre* Agora

The Palais de l’Europe*

Designed by French architect Henry Bernard and inaugurated in 1977, the Palais de l’Europe is the Council of Europe’s principal building.

With its entrance flanked by the flags of all the Council’s member states, the structure of the Palais – a solid, fortress-like exterior which contrasts with its gentler and more fluid curved interior – reflects the values of strength in unity, trust, and cordiality that define the work carried out within its walls.

The outer layer of the Palais is a strong mixture of red, silver and golden-brown colours, which are found on the concrete of the buttresses, the aluminium-covered façade and the vast windows of the conference rooms respectively.

In front of the Palais a gently sloping lawn sweeps down from its main steps. Once the site of the predecessor to the Palais de l’Europe – the Maison de l’Europe – this swathe of green land is home to several works of art which have been presented to the Council of Europe.

... and the works of art

Human Rights

Human Rights by artist Mariano González Beltrán, one of the most important sculptors of his generation, stands on the front lawn of the Palais de l’Europe. The bronze statue, a gift from Spain, presents a circle of male and female figures linked together and is emblematic of human rights and a society living in harmony. The combination of the abstract (the silhouettes) and the figurative (the expressive faces of the women and the child) evoke gestation, creation and development, the circle of life and all that we have in common, portraying what is meant by the fight for human rights and all of the Council of Europe’s work in this field.

Agora is the Council of Europe’s newest building, taking its name from the ancient Greek word for an open place of assembly. It was inaugurated in April 2008 and designed by the architectural firms Art & Build (Brussels) and Denu et Paradon (Strasbourg).

Voted the best office building of the year in 2008 (MIPIM award), the Agora combines modernity, efficiency and respect for the environment. Behind its large glazed facade are two atria, which are enclosed by meeting rooms clad in pre-patinaed copper.

Covering this structure is an eye-catching cantilevered metal roof, which is topped by two fabric solar chimneys, shaped to allow natural ventilation of the atria.

This progressive building bears witness to the Council of Europe’s commitment to environmental responsibility.

European Audiovisual Observatory European Directorate for the quality of Medicines and HealthCare (EDQM)

The new building of the EDQM sits to the rear of the Agora. Designed by architects from the Brussels-based firm Art & Build and the Strasbourg-based Denu and Paradon, it was inaugurated in March 2007.

The curved glass and wooden structure combines a modern aesthetic with contemporary functionality and houses laboratories, offices and meeting rooms that serve the organisation’s expanding role in monitoring the quality of medicines in Europe and further afield.

The European Audiovisual Observatory, a centre for the development of the European film and television sector, can be found close to the bottom of the Palais de l’Europe lawn on the allée de la Robertsau.

The Observatory, created in 1992, is housed in the remarkable Villa Schutzenberger, which dates from 1889. Designed by Julius Berninger and Henri-Gustave Krafft at the end of the 19th century, this building is among the finest examples of Art nouveau architecture in Strasbourg.

The house has a distinct southern European character, blending aspects of an Italian villa, including a low-level, overlapping roof, with sculptured decoration and strong, pure lines of Savonnières stone. Beautiful wrought ironwork adds to its grandeur.

Designed by the Norwegian architects Lund and Slaatto, this functional, contemporary building has received tens of thousands of young people from all backgrounds since 1972. It is located in the Wacken neighbourhood.

The European Youth Centre, an outstanding example of Scandinavian architecture, blends the rawness of concrete and aluminium to striking effect.

Former Human Rights Building*

The former building of Human Rights, which stands on the edge of the Orangerie Park, was built by architects B Monnet and J Aprill in 1965.

A low, square building, its design is typical of its time. The once futuristic jutting rectangles of concrete hold within them a peaceful enclosed courtyard, which is visible from the structure’s southern side.

Human Rights Building*

Inaugurated in 1995, the Human Rights Building curves alongside the Ill, the river that flows through Strasbourg. It is one of the most striking achievements of the great British architect Lord Richard Rogers, who also designed the Centre Georges-Pompidou, London’s Millennium Dome, and the Welsh National Assembly building.

Situated across the water from the European Union’s Louise Weiss European Parliament building, the design of the Human Rights Building is true to Lord Rogers’ functional and modernist style.

Steeped in symbolism (the façade evokes the scales of justice), its contemporary materials (the liberal use of glass is a metaphor for transparency) are used to striking effect.

The front of the Human Rights Building is formed by the two cylindrical chambers of the European Court of Human Rights.

These two towering structures link the main sections of the building: public spaces comprising intricate circular elements of metal, glass and Vosges sandstone and a simple and more sober office area.

A prestigious collection to be discovered in the grounds of our buildings

Europe

Rudolf Kedl’s electrolysed copper sculpture Europe, presented by Austria, sits on the front lawn of the Palais de l’Europe, next to Beltran’s Human Rights. The 20th century Austrian sculptor described his vertical piece as “a female silhouette arising from the flames”.

Four-Leaved Clover

The Four-Leaved Clover, the work of Italian Attilio Pierelli and donated by Italy, can be found on the side of the Palais de l’Europe’s front lawn, adjacent to the sculptures by Cavallini and Beltran. This angular and metallic piece, made of burnished chrome, stands at two metres tall.

Statue of Poseidon

Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, addresses the main lawn of the Palais de l’Europe from the north-west. Standing astride his plinth, this mythological character points the way to the building’s grand entrance. The reproduction of the sculpture, dating from around 450 BC, was presented to the Council by Greece in 1998.

“Aux victimes de la faim“

The Aux victimes de la faim (To the victims of poverty) memorial is dedicated to the fight against social exclusion and poverty in Europe. The stone was presented to the Council in 1987 by ATD Fourth World, the non-governmental organisation created by ­Father Joseph Wresinski.

Auschwitz Memorial

The Auschwitz Memorial, which meets visitors to the Palais de l’Europe as they ascend the main steps, is a symbol of the Council of Europe’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. This simple stone work was unveiled in 2005 by Jean Samuel, an Auschwitz survivor, and Szewach Weiss, then chairman of the Yad Vashem Council and former Speaker of the Knesset.

Interpenetration

Belgian artist Lucien Wercollier’s Interpenetration sculpture, a donation from Luxembourg, is a simple and elegant polished bronze piece that combines curves and straight lines.

The Berlin Wall

On the front lawn of the Human Rights Building lies a small portion of the Berlin Wall, donated by Germany in 1989. The historic slabs of concrete, a testament to the vicissitudes of the second half of the 20th century, symbolise German reunification and the hope of all Europeans.

The Petrified Seven

The Petrified Seven, a sculpture by artist Carl Bucher, lies to the rear of the Human Rights building. Created in 1995, it was presented to the Council of Europe

by Switzerland. An expression of the trauma of physical and mental violence, this haunting piece of art symbolises the Council of Europe’s essential role in protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law.