A number of us have been involved in the project since its very beginning when we, the ECB, started to look for a suitable site. Others – like the architect and the planners – have spent years on the planning of our new building from the concept for the international architectural competition to the details of the execution planning.
Chinn and Frankel (2005) developed a list of functions of an international currency. According to them, an international currency has to be capable  1  The Benefits and costs of an international currency: Getting the calculus right; Benjamin J. Cohen, June 2011.