The mayor of Paris proposed on Saturday that the Olympic rings be left on the Eiffel Tower to remind of the Olympics and the ongoing Paralympics.
To the designer of the Eiffel Tower Gustave Eiffel descendants and many Parisians oppose plans to leave the Olympic rings adorning the French capital’s iconic landmark. Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo proposed on Saturday that the Olympic rings would be left in the Eiffel Tower to remind of the excellently run Olympic Games and the ongoing Paralympic Games in July-August.
– The tower has been a symbol of Paris and all of France since its construction, 135 years, commented Olivier Berthelot-Eiffelthe great-grandson of the tower’s designer and the president of the association representing the descendants of Gustave Eiffel, in the press release.
Mayor Hidalgo’s idea has been to replace the tires on the tower with a lighter version. Eiffel’s descendants are not opposed to the rings remaining in place for a while after the Paralympics end on September 8, but they don’t think the tower needs a permanent decoration.
– The Eiffel Tower must not be a billboard. It is not appropriate for an outside organization to get its logo on it permanently, the descendants of the tower’s builder say.
Also the French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati rejects the mayor’s plan. In the minister’s opinion, the architecture of protected buildings should be cherished, and changes cannot be made without thorough consideration.
The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 as a symbol of the Paris World Fair. Last year, the tower was visited by approximately 6.3 million visitors.