By Thomas Ricard - Blog 2
The Atomium is a giant replica if the iron crystal structure. This was done in honor of Belgium’s metal industry for the 1958 world fair. It consists of nine giant spheres connected by tubes, with a panoramic view and restaurant at the top. The Atomium has a rich history beginning with its original construction in 1958. It was worked on twenty four hours a day despite claims by the French, that it was best to only work during day light for safety. Consequently, the Atomium was finished right on time for the world fair compared to the French exhibition which was several months late to finishing construction. Additionally, it was only built by Belgium workers to prevent complications that could arise due to translation and coordination.
The view of Brussels from the Atomium is simply amazing. You’re able to view a large portion of the city and see many of the other landmarks in the distance. The panoramic view also helps one realize how green Brussels is. Looking over the city you’re able to see large patches of trees and parks throughout the area, helping support the claim that it’s one of the greenest cities in Europe.
The Atomium is the “Eiffel Tower” of Brussels. It’s one hundred and two meters tall and can be seen shining from a distance due to its polished steel exterior skin. The three spheres supporting the highest one with the restaurant aren’t accessible. These three spheres were designed to allow the shifting of the supporting rods of the top sphere. In high winds the top sphere can shift up to 55 centimeters (approximately 22 inches.) This design reduces the stress on the rest of the monument and its support system. This is useful since the Atomium originally was only constructed to last two years before it was disassembled again, and therefore doesn’t have as large of a foundation that would normally be expected. Overall the Atomium is a very impressive work of engineering and architecture created by the Belgium people.
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