(Paris) The Olympic rings hung on the Eiffel Tower since June have been removed, in principle waiting to be replaced by a more durable structure to remain there until 2028 as requested by the Paris town hall, noted a photographer from the AFP.
The five-colored rings – 29 meters long, 15 meters high – sat between the first and second floors of the Iron Lady.
The mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo wants this symbol of Olympism to remain on the emblematic monument of the capital until the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. But the thirty-ton structure made by the steelmaker Arcelor Mittal was not designed to withstand winter weather conditions.
The City of Paris, owner of the Eiffel Tower, and the IOC, owner of the Olympic logo, have said they are working on the construction of new, lighter, permanent rings, while the old ones will be melted down.
While waiting for the new ones to be installed, smaller rings were hung on the Iéna bridge, just opposite, to “provide continuity”, according to the town hall.
The socialist mayor’s plan to keep the rings on the Eiffel Tower until 2028 has raised strong criticism among heritage defenders and descendants of Gustave Eiffel.
The latter believe that their maintenance would undermine the work of their ancestor erected 135 years ago, which in their eyes is not intended to display an “advertising sign”, the rings being a commercial brand.