Tower construction in Kirchberg is a little like buses- you don’t see any new projects for years then two come along at once.

Just after work began on the third European Court of Justice tower in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, the Council gave its approval for the construction of “Bâtiment Jean Monnet 2”.

The building consists of a 23-storey towner and another seven-floor building which, together spans 111,000 m2 above ground and 78,000 m2 below ground.

The first part of building is expected to be completed by October 2020 and the second, including tower, in October 2024.

The majority of the European Commission services in Luxembourg are to be based in the new building where more than 3,000 people will work.

The building will be a stone’s throw from the other European Institutions, such as the Court, European Investment Bank and European Parliament, between Boulevard Konrad Adenauer, rue Erasme and Rue Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Plans were drawn up by “KSP – Jürgen Engel Architekten” from Germany.

The new building replaces the original Jean Monnet building which opened in 1975 and was recently closed because of asbestos contamination.

Plans to build a replacement were agreed between the European Commission, the State and Fonds de Kirchberg in 2009. The agreement covers land to be used and financing, among other things.