NATO revealed its new $1.2 billion headquarters in Brussels with pomp and ceremony Thursday under the watchful eye of Donald Trump who could not resist a barb over the cost.

To the sound of a military flypast and a marching band the alliance proudly took possession of the curved glass and steel building meant to symbolise a new unified future.

But the US president was in belligerent mood as he unveiled a 9/11 memorial outside the building, accusing allies of hitching a free ride on the US taxpayer for years.

"I never asked once what the new NATO headquarters cost. I refuse to do that but it is beautiful," Trump said, leaving many bemused as to whether he was being humorous or not.

Two years behind schedule, the futuristic structure of eight interlinked wings stands hunkered into the ground of a former Belgian airfield bombed by both sides in World War II.

It replaces the alliance's current drab 1960s HQ, a warren of prefab office units that was only meant to be temporary but has been used for half a century.

This new NATO base is meant to be a symbol of a rock-solid, transatlantic alliance ready for the future after keeping the peace in Europe for the past 70 years.

"A 21st century headquarters for a 21st century alliance," NATO trumpets on its website.

- 21st century problems -

With 21st century problems, it might have added -- the opening date has been repeatedly pushed back from 2015 due to funding and technical problems.

Officials will not actually move into the building until late this year due to problems with the computer system.

During a tour this week, alliance officials were keen to show off their new home, festooned with banners carrying the "#WeAreNATO" catch-phrase

The main entrance is flanked by two memorials, to 9/11 and a section of the Berlin Wall to mark the end of the Cold War which German Chancellor Angela Merkel unveiled.

The Sept. 11 2001 memorial "is a potent reminder of what we are here for," a NATO official said, recalling that 9/11 was the only occasion so far that an ally -- the United States -- had invoked the alliance's core Article 5 "all for one, one for all" collective defence commitment.

The building's centre piece is the "Agora," recalling the market place of ancient Greek cities such as Athens where citizens met and mingled to discuss freely the issues of the day in the first democracies.

Officials described the Agora as "Cathedral-like" and that is true of the dimensions -- 32 metres high (104 feet), 45 metres wide and 240 metres long, all glass elevators and exposed grey steel struts over a mottled grey floor.

"The glass in the building symbolises transparency, so that everything can be seen by the public," a NATO official said.

The figures are impressive.

The new building will be home to 1,500 personnel from member delegations, 1,700 international military and civilian staff, plus 600 workers from NATO agencies and up to a 1,000 visitors a day.

There are 72,000 square metres of glass, 250,000 square metres of floor space.

Each long wing is 188 metres with seven floors getting progressively smaller the higher you go. Each short wing is 90 metres long.

"It takes 15 to 20 minutes to walk from the end of the furthest long wing to the other side of the building," a NATO official said. "That is the same as in the old building," he added.

Seen from above, the wings are interlocked like the fingers of two hands, "symbolising allied unity and cooperation," NATO says.

Russian media however tartly compared the shape to the double lightning symbol of Nazi Germany's notorious SS.

- Shades of grey -

The building is all shades of grey, broken up by blond wood pannelling at reception desk areas and the only dash of colour seemingly being the lime-green of the bathroom doors.

It is all strictly functional and utilitarian but that seems very much the message the building is meant to convey -- a no-nonsense approach to the serious business of defence.

Officials were reluctant to discuss security features for obvious reasons, but the glass is reinforced, security multi-faceted and there are enough back-up systems to keep the building running in most circumstances.

There are however no bunkers, they insisted.

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Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic did not mince his words when Russia last month announced a ban on imports from the Balkan country's biggest winemaker. "It is clear that the decision is in the context of (Montenegro's) NATO membership," he said, pointing out that Russian citizens had "lost an opportunity to consume the best wines". On May 25, Markovic will sit on the leaders' t ... read more

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