The Atomium, Brussels, Belgium, 2023
Under a grey sky Expo 58 opened its doors to visitors on April 17th 1958 for a period of six months. By staging this prestigious exhibition, Belgium wanted to show its know-how in such varied fields as atomic energy, metallurgy, urbanism and transport. The Atomium, spectacular symbol of the atomic age, is the sole survivor of the 1958 World Fair. It represents an Iron crystal molecule magnified 185 billion times. At a height of 102 meters or 330 feet, the structure consists of nine spheres, each measuring 18 meters or 59 feet in diameter which altogether weighs 2400 tons. Conceived by engineer André Waterkeyn, the iron molecule took 18 months to design and as many months to built.
The structure is truly unique and iconic. It stands as a testament to human innovation and creativity, very much a product of its time: futuristic, scientific, and just a little bit strange.
Initially, the Atomium was not supposed to survive Expo 58. However, its designers had imagined it would remain standing for at least 10 years. Eventually it got ravaged by time and also fell victim to the public’s disenchantment with this 1958 aesthetic.
The Atomium was progressively handicapped by its tarnished appearance and consequently almost got demolished in the late 1990’s due to a lack of concrete plans and enough visitors to make it financially viable. This goes to show that architecture should never be judged on its financial viability or the prevailing standards of aesthetics.
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