The battle over the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower continues: the descendants of architect Gustav Eiffel now want to see the symbol of the Games removed by the end of the year at the latest.
The city, which for its part wants to keep the rings until at least 2028, should hand them over to the next venue, Los Angeles, by the end of 2024, the Eiffel Descendants' Association declared in Paris on Monday.
The Eiffel descendants emphasized that the Olympic rings would massively change the appearance of the Eiffel Tower. "They are colorful and very large. They hang in the popular visual axis and thus disturb the balance of the monument's pure forms." They also disturbed "the neutrality and significance that the Eiffel Tower has acquired over the years as a symbol of the city of Paris and the whole of France", they added.
Decision by the city
The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, is currently campaigning to keep the rings on the tower until at least 2028, the year of the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. A new, lighter version of the rings has already been commissioned. The decision lies with the City of Paris, as it is the owner of the Eiffel Tower.
If the Olympic rings were to remain on the Eiffel Tower, it would be an irony of history. After all, the tower itself should actually have been demolished at the end of the world exhibition for which it was built.
The Olympic Games in Paris ended on August 11 and were widely regarded as a success. The Paralympics also ended on Sunday evening with a big closing ceremony at the Stade de France.
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