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Built for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo '58), the 103-meter (335-foot) tall Atomium monument represents a unit cell of an iron crystal (body-centered cubic), magnified 165 billion times, with vertical body diagonal, with tubes along the 12 edges of the cube and from all 8 vertices to the center.
Nine steel spheres 18 meters in diameter connect via tubes with escalators as long as 35 m, among the longest in Europe. Windows in the top sphere provide a panoramic view of Brussels. Other spheres have 1950s exhibitions. Three upper spheres lacking vertical support are not open to the public for safety reasons.
The Eiffel Tower of Brussels
Planned originally to last only six months, architect André Waterkeyn's design has survived to become a popular tourist attraction that some feel is a Belgian national icon rivalling Manneken Pis. It sits beside to the King Baudouin Stadium in Heysel Park (). Just next to it also lies the congress center, and the Mini-Europe park.
Renovation
Beginning in March 2004, much-needed renovation work has included replacing faded aluminium sheets on the balls with stainless steel. To help pay for renovations, the old aluminium has been sold to the public as souvenirs. A triangular piece about 2 m long sold for $1,300. The Atomium, which has been closed to the public since October 2004, re-opened on 18th February 2006. The renovation includes revamped exhibition spaces, a restaurant, and an overnight dormitory (with suspended plastic sphere beds) for visiting schoolchildren.
Trivia
The ambient music duo Stars of the Lid titled the first three tracks of their 1999 release Avec Laudenum "The Atomium (parts I through III)".
One of the original ideas for Expo '58 was to build an upside-down Eiffel tower. The architect Waterkeyn didn't like that idea and decided to create something more symbolic of the era.
According to some sources, it is illegal to publish (even self made) pictures of the Atomium, as the copyright is actively enforced by SABAM. **
The Atomium features in the music video for "Headhunter," by Belgian EBM group Front 242.
Location
Eeuwfeestlaan/ Boulevard du Centenaire 1020 Brussels (Laken)
See also
External links
Buildings and structures in Brussels
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"Atomium"