Installation of Street furniture benches on the Rue de la Loi

The Berlaymont building is the headquarters of the European Commission, making it a symbolic and strategic target for terrorism. The esplanade in front of it is a publicly accessible space, which increases its vulnerability: four staircases leading from the Rue de la Loi and the Schuman roundabout remained unprotected, creating potential access points for hostile vehicles.

Any intervention also had to integrate with the urban environment and the architecture of the Berlaymont building itself, so that added protection would not come at the expense of the character of the space.

• Enhance security by installing granite-covered concrete benches to protect the esplanade in front of the Berlaymont building from vehicle-ramming attacks.
• Ensure the benches blend with the urban environment and the architecture of the surrounding area.
• Maintain pedestrian accessibility, including safe circulation for visually impaired individuals.

This case presents a targeted security-by-design intervention: a series of granite-covered concrete benches installed on the esplanade facing the Berlaymont building, to close a gap in the site’s existing protection against vehicle-ramming attacks.

The initiative was led by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, with the benches, and the concrete foundations beneath them, engineered to resist ramming vehicles of a specified mass and speed. Rather than relying on visible barriers or fencing, the intervention used everyday street furniture to introduce protection while keeping the esplanade functional, accessible and consistent with the architecture of the surrounding institutional area.

Stakeholders in this case took part in a more institutional than participatory capacity:

• European Commission’s Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security
• Municipality of Brussels
• Employees and citizens present in the area, as end users of the space

This case followed a top-down approach with a responsive design, rather than a participatory one. The initiative was led by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security, reflecting a top-down governance model; even so, the design process incorporated elements of social sensitivity and urban integration that are hallmarks of socially innovative thinking.

Stakeholder engagement was indirect rather than direct: at the request of Brussels authorities, the benches were spaced to ensure safe pedestrian flow and accessibility for visually impaired individuals, reflecting institutional coordination and responsiveness to public needs rather than open citizen consultation. Decision-making took place through negotiation between the European Commission and local Brussels authorities – for example on minimum spacing for accessibility – rather than through broad public consultation, with compliance to accessibility norms serving as the main channel through which the needs of vulnerable groups were indirectly represented.

• Security by design integration: security measures are embedded directly into the urban landscape, rather than added on top of it.
• Protective design without militarisation: the benches protect public space without turning it into a visibly fortified or militarised environment.
• Scalable and replicable concept: the solution can be adapted to other high-risk urban areas, offering a modular model that combines public utility with terrorism protection.

Underpinning these elements, the benches were engineered with reinforced concrete foundations capable of resisting a specified vehicle mass and speed, with granite cladding chosen to ensure aesthetic harmony with the Berlaymont building and its surroundings, and placement designed to respect pedestrian circulation and accessibility norms.

• Standardization of impact testing: the project aligns with emerging international standards for vehicle-impact barriers (ISO 22343-1 and ISO 22343-2), as well as certification standards such as IWA 14-1 and EN 1997-1 for soil assessment, impact resistance and foundation design.
• Performance rating and debris analysis, used to assess how the benches and their foundations behave under impact.
• Physical vs. computational testing: computational methods, such as numerical simulations, are emerging as innovative tools already used in crash and blast simulations. They offer the potential for faster, more cost-effective and repeatable testing scenarios, and could complement – or eventually reduce the need for – full-scale physical tests.

• The benches, other architectural elements and their concrete foundations installed in the space are designed to resist ramming vehicles of a specified mass and speed.
• The case may influence urban planning policy by showing how security measures can be implemented without requiring planning permission, when carried out on institutional land and with proper design.
• Urban security innovation: the case demonstrates how non-intrusive, multi-functional infrastructure can be used to protect public and political spaces from terrorism.

• Security can be seamlessly integrated into public space without compromising aesthetics or accessibility.
• Targeted risk assessment is essential to identify and address specific vulnerabilities in urban environments.
• Multifunctional design enhances public acceptance and utility of protective infrastructure.
• Coordination with local authorities ensures compliance with accessibility and urban flow standards.
• Anticipating international standards strengthens the long-term sustainability and replicability of security solutions.

• The solution was not developed and delivered through a collaborative approach.
• Limited stakeholder participation: the intervention followed a top-down approach with minimal direct public engagement or consultation.
• Restricted scope of protection: the benches address vehicle-ramming threats specifically, but may not mitigate other types of attacks, such as explosives or drones.

The benches offer a durable, low-maintenance solution that blends security with public utility. Their design supports long-term use without disrupting urban aesthetics or accessibility, and by aligning with evolving international standards, the intervention helps ensure future compliance and relevance. The concept is replicable, making it a scalable model for other cities, and overall it promotes a resilient, people-friendly approach to urban security.