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Atomium
The Atomium (/əˈtoʊmiəm/ ə-TOH-mee-əm, French: [atɔmjɔm], Dutch: [aːˈtoːmijəm]) is a landmark modernist building in Brussels, Belgium, originally constructed as the centrepiece of the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58). Designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn and the architects André and Jean Polak as a tribute to scientific progress, as well as to symbolise Belgian engineering skills at the time, it is located on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in Laeken (northern part of the City of Brussels), where the exhibition took place. It is the city's most popular tourist attraction, and serves as a museum, an art centre and a cultural destination.
The Atomium stands 102 metres (335 ft) tall, making it one of the tallest structures in Belgium. Its nine 18-metre-diameter (59 ft) stainless steel clad spheres are connected in the shape of a unit cell that could represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Steel tubes connecting the spheres enclose stairs, escalators and a lift (in the central, vertical tube) to allow access to the six visitable spheres, which contain exhibit halls and other public spaces. The top sphere includes a restaurant with a panoramic view of Brussels. The building was completely renovated between 2004 and 2006 by the companies Jacques Delens and BESIX.
The building is located on the Square de l'Atomium/Atomiumsquare, at the intersection of the Boulevard du Centenaire/Eeuwfeestlaan with the Avenue de l'Atomium/Atomiumlaan and the Avenue de Bouchout/Boechoutlaan, and opposite the Centenary Palace of the Brussels Exhibition Centre (Brussels Expo). It is served by Heysel/Heizel metro station on line 6 of the Brussels Metro.
The name Atomium (pronounced /əˈtoʊmiːəm/ ə-TOH-mee-əm) is a portmanteau combining the words atom and aluminium, the metal with which the spheres were initially covered. The Brussels-Capital Region is bilingual; hence, both the monument's French and Dutch names—l'Atomium and het Atomium—are official. In French, l'Atomium (pronounced [atɔmjɔm]) is used both in the masculine and in the feminine, even if the monument's official team prefers the feminine. In Dutch, het Atomium (pronounced [aːˈtoːmijəm]) is neuter. In English, it is usually referred to with the definite article 'the' in front: the Atomium.
The Atomium was built as the main pavilion and symbol of the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58). Its nine 18-metre (59 ft) stainless steel-clad spheres depict nine iron atoms in a body-centred cubic unit cell, which could, for example, represent an α-iron (ferrite) crystal, magnified 165 billion times. In the 1950s, faith in scientific progress was strong, and the subject was chosen to embody the enthusiasm of the Atomic Age. Designed to highlight humanity's advances—particularly in nuclear physics—it reflected Belgium's active role in the field ever since uranium from the Belgian Congo became the dominant material for nuclear fission, including the fuel used in the world's first nuclear weapons. With the Atomium, the country thus sought to promote the post-war ideal of peacefully applying atomic research and technology to improve lives and benefit mankind.
The construction of the Atomium was a technical feat. In January 1955, a first project was presented by the engineer André Waterkeyn, director of the economic department at Fabrimétal, the Federation of Companies in the Metal Fabricating Industry (now known as Agoria). The architects André and Jean Polak were responsible for the concept's architectural transposition, drawing up numerous sketches in the process. The company received assistance from the consulting engineers Artémy S. Joukoff and André Beckers, who were supported by the V. Daniel design office. Construction of the foundations began in March 1956 and the building, erected by the Jambes-Namur Construction Workshops, was completed less than a month before the inauguration of Expo 58, on 17 April 1958.
Since opening, only six of the nine spheres have been accessible to the public: the three on the central axis and the three on the lower outer edges. Each sphere has two main floors and an additional lower floor reserved for service. Tubes with a diameter of 3 metres (10 ft) connect the spheres along the cube's twelve edges and all eight vertices to the centre. The central tube contains Europe's fastest lift at the time of construction, with a speed of 5 m/s (20 ft/s), installed by the Belgian branch of the Swiss firm Schlieren (subsequently taken over by Schindler). It allows 22 people to reach the summit in just 23 seconds. The escalators installed in the oblique tubes are also among the longest in Europe, with the longest measuring 35 metres (100 ft).
The three upper outer spheres lack vertical support and are therefore not open to the public for safety reasons (to minimise foot traffic in the spheres). The original design called for no leg supports on the three lower outer spheres; the structure was simply to rest on the singular mid-bottom sphere. However, wind tunnel tests proved that such a structure would have toppled in an 80 km/h (50 mph) wind, whilst winds of up to 140 km/h (90 mph) have been recorded in Belgium. Support columns were thus added under the three spheres in question to provide sufficient resistance against overturning.
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Atomium
The Atomium (/əˈtoʊmiəm/ ə-TOH-mee-əm, French: [atɔmjɔm], Dutch: [aːˈtoːmijəm]) is a landmark modernist building in Brussels, Belgium, originally constructed as the centrepiece of the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58). Designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn and the architects André and Jean Polak as a tribute to scientific progress, as well as to symbolise Belgian engineering skills at the time, it is located on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in Laeken (northern part of the City of Brussels), where the exhibition took place. It is the city's most popular tourist attraction, and serves as a museum, an art centre and a cultural destination.
The Atomium stands 102 metres (335 ft) tall, making it one of the tallest structures in Belgium. Its nine 18-metre-diameter (59 ft) stainless steel clad spheres are connected in the shape of a unit cell that could represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Steel tubes connecting the spheres enclose stairs, escalators and a lift (in the central, vertical tube) to allow access to the six visitable spheres, which contain exhibit halls and other public spaces. The top sphere includes a restaurant with a panoramic view of Brussels. The building was completely renovated between 2004 and 2006 by the companies Jacques Delens and BESIX.
The building is located on the Square de l'Atomium/Atomiumsquare, at the intersection of the Boulevard du Centenaire/Eeuwfeestlaan with the Avenue de l'Atomium/Atomiumlaan and the Avenue de Bouchout/Boechoutlaan, and opposite the Centenary Palace of the Brussels Exhibition Centre (Brussels Expo). It is served by Heysel/Heizel metro station on line 6 of the Brussels Metro.
The name Atomium (pronounced /əˈtoʊmiːəm/ ə-TOH-mee-əm) is a portmanteau combining the words atom and aluminium, the metal with which the spheres were initially covered. The Brussels-Capital Region is bilingual; hence, both the monument's French and Dutch names—l'Atomium and het Atomium—are official. In French, l'Atomium (pronounced [atɔmjɔm]) is used both in the masculine and in the feminine, even if the monument's official team prefers the feminine. In Dutch, het Atomium (pronounced [aːˈtoːmijəm]) is neuter. In English, it is usually referred to with the definite article 'the' in front: the Atomium.
The Atomium was built as the main pavilion and symbol of the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58). Its nine 18-metre (59 ft) stainless steel-clad spheres depict nine iron atoms in a body-centred cubic unit cell, which could, for example, represent an α-iron (ferrite) crystal, magnified 165 billion times. In the 1950s, faith in scientific progress was strong, and the subject was chosen to embody the enthusiasm of the Atomic Age. Designed to highlight humanity's advances—particularly in nuclear physics—it reflected Belgium's active role in the field ever since uranium from the Belgian Congo became the dominant material for nuclear fission, including the fuel used in the world's first nuclear weapons. With the Atomium, the country thus sought to promote the post-war ideal of peacefully applying atomic research and technology to improve lives and benefit mankind.
The construction of the Atomium was a technical feat. In January 1955, a first project was presented by the engineer André Waterkeyn, director of the economic department at Fabrimétal, the Federation of Companies in the Metal Fabricating Industry (now known as Agoria). The architects André and Jean Polak were responsible for the concept's architectural transposition, drawing up numerous sketches in the process. The company received assistance from the consulting engineers Artémy S. Joukoff and André Beckers, who were supported by the V. Daniel design office. Construction of the foundations began in March 1956 and the building, erected by the Jambes-Namur Construction Workshops, was completed less than a month before the inauguration of Expo 58, on 17 April 1958.
Since opening, only six of the nine spheres have been accessible to the public: the three on the central axis and the three on the lower outer edges. Each sphere has two main floors and an additional lower floor reserved for service. Tubes with a diameter of 3 metres (10 ft) connect the spheres along the cube's twelve edges and all eight vertices to the centre. The central tube contains Europe's fastest lift at the time of construction, with a speed of 5 m/s (20 ft/s), installed by the Belgian branch of the Swiss firm Schlieren (subsequently taken over by Schindler). It allows 22 people to reach the summit in just 23 seconds. The escalators installed in the oblique tubes are also among the longest in Europe, with the longest measuring 35 metres (100 ft).
The three upper outer spheres lack vertical support and are therefore not open to the public for safety reasons (to minimise foot traffic in the spheres). The original design called for no leg supports on the three lower outer spheres; the structure was simply to rest on the singular mid-bottom sphere. However, wind tunnel tests proved that such a structure would have toppled in an 80 km/h (50 mph) wind, whilst winds of up to 140 km/h (90 mph) have been recorded in Belgium. Support columns were thus added under the three spheres in question to provide sufficient resistance against overturning.
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