Ancien Palais building

Today's present day CJEU has been based in Luxembourg City since its original formation in 1952 under the EU's forerunner, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) — as were, on a provisional basis, all institutions of the newly formed supranational organisation.^[1] Due to the lack of suitable premises to house the new institution, it was split across three buildings: the Villa Vauban, for the chambers of the seven Judges and two Advocates General; the Hamilius Building, for the language services, and the Maison Hellinkx, for the administration and the library.^[1] This arrangement was maintained until August 1959, when a building large enough to host all departments, located on the Côte d'Eich, was made available by the State. However, following the Luxembourg government's decision to re-develop the Luxembourg City quarter of Kirchberg as a district dedicated to the European Communities (EC) — of which, despite their separate nature, the Court had become their sole judicial arbiter — it was decided to relocate the institution to the plateau.^[1]

The original Palais building, now known as the Ancien Palais building, was the first building of the EC to be designed through an architectural competition.^[2] Luxembourg architects, who could invite foreign partners proposed seventeen different projects. A jury composed of architects from neighbouring Belgium, France and Germany, rejected the most extreme designs.^[2] The Luxembourg government desired a design that would be symbolic of venture for European unity. The winning design, submitted by Jean Paul Consemius of Luxembourg, with François Jamagne and Michel Vande Elst of Belgium, was inspired by classical Greek architecture.^[2] The building, which opened in 1973, featured an isolated horizontal building reminiscent of an Ancient Greek temple at the top of a slope. In a tribute to Luxembourg's steel industry, the building was to be clad in Corox steel, which would require little maintenance.^[2]

Annexes: the first to third extensions

Between 1978 and 1994, three annexes were added to the complex, designed by Luxembourg-based architects Bohadan Paczowski, Jean Herr, Gilbert Huyberecht, Bohdan Paczowski, and Paul Fritsch, with Isabelle van Driessche joining for the third; the Erasmus, Thomas More, and Themis buildings.^[3][4] In order to preserve the original intent of the court as a Greek temple, these were placed down-slope from the Ancien Palais building.^[4] The first of these, the Erasmus building, was constructed between 1986 and 1989 around an axial symmetry design.^[4] This was closely followed by two buildings based around orthogonal designs, the Thomas More Building, constructed between 1989 and 1992, and lastly, the Themis building with its four turrets, constructed between 1992 and 1993.^[4] Architectural historian Carolina Hein notes that the designs were also influenced by the style of the edifices of the various financial institutions that had begun to cement their presence in Luxembourg City, as can be seen with the pink granite cladding present on all three of the annexes.^[4]

The Erasmus and Thomas More building's namesakes, are Renaissance-era philosophers and scholars: respectively, Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, and Sir Thomas More. The Themis building is named after the Ancient Greek goddess of justice.^{[5][nb 1]}

Fourth extension and renovations

Even prior to completion of the third annex, in October 1988 the Council of the then European Communities authorised the need for a fourth extension, recognising the need for office space to cope with an increasing workflow and the future demands of additional staff caused by future possible enlargements.^[6] In 1996, this task was awarded to Paris-based architect Dominique Perrault following an architectural competition. The existence of asbestos in the Ancien Palais building, as well as outdated office arrangements in a building designed prior to the incorporation of modern IT services would require the gutting of the internals of the existing structures. Asbestos removal work began in 2000, with a ground-breaking ceremony held in 2002, and construction works on the fourth extension only beginning in earnest in 2004, and lasting until 2008, with the inauguration ceremony occurring on 4 December of that year.^[7][8] Subsequent renovation works on the three annex buildings also occurred.

The most striking adaptations brought by Perrault's design to the present day Palais include his decision to build vertically due to space constraints, and the striking use of the colour gold on the façades and interior finishing's of the building. Of the latter, Perrault has claimed that this is a reflection of the CJEU's role as a "constitutional" — rather than a criminal — court.^[9] Perrault has also spoken of his desire to demonstrate, via his designs, a blend of two distinctive styles: the iconic and ritualistic, with the transparent and modern.^[10]

Fifth extension

Grounds

Following the completion of the Palais complex's fourth extension, and during renovation works on the Annexes circa 2013, construction efforts were undertaken to ensure that the complex could be still be accessed via rue du Fort Niedergrünewald, which had been raised to the level of Avenue John F. Kennedy, as part of general urban redevelopment plans for Kirchberg.^[21][22] This included removing a footbridge to the upper storey of the Palais' Erasmus building, which had previously spanned the road.

Work was completed in 2023 on installing a new perimeter fence, including three new secure visitors checkpoints, on rue du Fort Niedergrünewald, boulevard Konrad Adenauer, and the rerouted rue Charles-Léon Hammes.^[25] On Europe Day 2023, a "multilingualism garden", open to the public, using some of the land adjacent to the complex left derelict following the demolition of the European Commission's original Jean Monnet building, was inaugurated.^[26][27]