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Everyone who visits the Atomium, by far Brussels’ most unusual landmark, seems to have an opinion or special memory attached to it.
Belgian writer Pierre Mertens has called it a reconciliation between French science fiction writer Jules Verne and Alice in Wonderland; its architect André Waterkeyn correctly predicted that visitors would be “surprised and baffled”; and it inspired Brussels mayor Freddy Thielemans to reflect on the “mysteries of the night” when he was a teenager.
Located on Brussels’ Heysel plateau about seven kilometres northwest of Brussels, the Atomium was built for the World’s Fair of 1958, the third fair on Belgian soil and the first after World War
II. Designed by Waterkeyn, an engineer with a background in metallurgy, the 102-metre-tall steel structure, consisting of nine spheres joined via tubes and resting on three bi-pods, represents an iron molecule magnified 165 billion times.
More importantly, it was intended to represent the strength of Belgian industry, boasting at the time the fastest lift speed in Europe (five metres per second) and some of its longest escalators. Although the Atomium was never intended to outlive the World’s Fair, it quickly became enshrined in the hearts of Belgians and a permanent part of the Brussels skyline. However, the balls lost their shine over the years, the exhibitions grew outdated and there were even safety concerns.
Thanks to a determined group of individuals and companies who joined forces in a non-profit association and financial contributions from the federal government, the City of Brussels and the National Lottery, the Atomium underwent a €27.5 million, two-year renovation that entailed replacing the skin of the spheres with stainless steel, the installation of a new fire escape, escalators, an interior and exterior lighting system and a new reception pavilion.
Although the works turned out to be costlier and more extensive than originally foreseen, the reborn Atomium finally reopened its doors in February. Sadly, Waterkeyn died a few months earlier, but there is a sphere named in his honour. Also the Antwerp-based architectural firm Coninx insisted on “scrupulous adherence” to the building’s original character as far as possible.
Munich native lighting maestro Ingo Maurer, who designed the new interior and exterior lighting, also didn’t want to mess too much with its magic.
Maurer, who admits to experiencing love at first sight with the structure, knew it would be a difficult task to partake in the renovation, but one he couldn’t turn down. “You don’t say no to a project like this,” he declared at the reopening.
So what awaits visitors inside? For those acquainted with the Atomium before the renovation, perhaps a fond memory of a previous visit to Brussels, but now with a whole host of new permanent and temporary exhibitions and a panoramic restaurant offering Belgium specialities on the top sphere. It still has very much of a Space Age feel, and it can be somewhat disorienting to pinpoint which sphere you are in – that even happened to workers during the renovation – but fortunately there are plenty of maps and diagrams to guide the way. In this skyscraper-free city, the Atomium offers some of Brussels’ most stunning views; there are even little magnifying screens for zooming in on points of interest.
Even on rainy days the Atomium has much to offer. The lowest sphere pays tribute to its heritage with film footage of the original works and a small but carefully chosen selection of black-and-white photographs capturing the spirit of the 1958 fair. Footage of the renovation completes the picture. From 2007 onwards there will be temporary exhibitions every six months devoted to contemporary plastic arts, video art and design, and the so-called multi-purpose sphere will be devoted to concerts, film screenings and other events. From September 2006 the children’s sphere – equipped with unique slumber pods – will become a kind of “hotel” for visiting school groups.
From the colourful pop-art style of George Nelson’s mid-century classic Marshmallow sofa in the reception area to the red stools by Japanese designer Sori Yanagi, the new and improved Atomium is also a showcase for the best of 1950s- and 1960s-era furniture. There are miniaturized versions for sale in the gift shop, along with vintage postcards and the requisite line of shot glasses, umbrellas and a whole host of other Atomium-logo souvenirs.
But of course no physical souvenir is needed to remember the Atomium, because there’s no other edifice like it in the world.
Mini-Europe
Visit miniature versions of all the EU’s greatest landmarks
Continue the Alice in Wonderland experience next door at Mini-Europe, a park featuring small-scale models of 350 of Europe’s best-known landmarks including a 12.85-square-metre-high Eiffel Tower and a 4-metre-tall Big Ben. They may not be the real thing, but they’re pretty darned impressive – each model taking tens of thousands of painstaking hours to build!
As the European Union has added more countries, Mini-Europe has added more attractions; this year’s new additions include the astronomical clock on Prague’s Old Town Hall, Bratislava’s Art Nouveau-style Blue Church and Vilnius University’s Astronomical Observatory.
It’s possible to do the whole tour in a couple of hours, and you learn a lot in the process; at the push of a button, you can listen to each country’s national anthem, watch a rocket launch or a see a volcano erupt.
If that’s not enough, you can also catch a flick at the Kinepolis multi-cinema complex or splash around at Océade, a tropical water park with open-air and covered areas featuring a dozen slides. There are also a host of informal family dining establishments including the popular and always-lively Chez Léon.
See Mini-Europe by Night Saturdays and Sundays July 22 – 20 August. Musical Fireworks 22 and 29 July and 5, 12 and 19 August. For more information see www.minieurope.be and www.oceade.be. Combo tickets are available at each attraction.
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