text: In March 2009, a French-Belgian-British team led by the French architect Christian de Portzamparc won a competition to redesign the Rue de la Loi between Maalbeek/Maelbeek Garden and the Résidence Palace in the east to the Small Ring in the west. Siim Kallas stated that the project, which would be put into action over a few a long period rather than all at once, would create a "symbolic area for the EU institutions" giving "body and soul to the European political project" and providing the Commission with extra office space. The road would be reduced from four lanes to two, be returned to two way traffic (rather than all west-bound), and the architects proposed a tram line to run down the centre. A series of high rise buildings would be built on either side with three taller "flagship" high rises at the east end on the north side. Charles Picqué described the towers as "iconic buildings that would be among the highest in Brussels" and that "building higher allows you to turn closed blocks into open spaces." The tallest buildings would be up to  high, though most between 16 and 55, but the higher the building the further back it would be set from the road. The freed up space (some ) would be given over to housing, shops, services and open spaces to give the area a more "human" feel. A sixth European School may also be built. On the western edge of the quarter, on the Small Ring, there would be "gates to Europe" to add visual impact.
  Given the delays and cost of the Berlaymont and other projects, the Commissioner emphasised that the new plans would offer "better value for money" and that the designs would be subject to an international architectural competition. He also pushed that controlling the buildings carbon footprint would be "an integral part of the programme".