Atomium, Modernist landmark and museum in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium
The Atomium is a metal construction in the Heysel district made of nine connected spheres reaching a height of 102 meters (335 feet). Each sphere measures 18 meters (59 feet) in diameter and they are linked by tubes containing escalators and elevators.
The construction was built for the 1958 Brussels World Fair as a symbol of the atomic age and peaceful use of nuclear energy. During the 2000s the original aluminum panels were replaced with stainless steel to preserve the structure.
The name Atomium is a portmanteau of atom and aluminium, the metal that originally clad the spheres. In French the monument is feminine for its official team, while Dutch treats het Atomium as neuter. The top sphere holds a restaurant with a panoramic view over Brussels.
Access to the spheres is through escalators and elevators, with some upper areas reachable only by a limited number of steps. Opening hours are generally from 10:00 to 18:00 and wheelchair users face restrictions on some levels.
The restaurant sits in the top sphere, not the middle one, and looks out over Brussels from 102 metres up. The lift in the central tube, installed by the Swiss firm Schlieren, carried 22 people to the summit in 23 seconds at 5 m/s, Europe's fastest when built.
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