Atomium
Giant stainless-steel model of an iron crystal, magnified billions of times, with a lift and tube escalators to a panoramic top sphere.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Atomium in Brussels starts with a 1955 wind-tunnel test that sent engineer Andre Waterkeyn's model toppling over, and the quiet fix his team bolted in before building nine 2,400-ton steel spheres balanced on one point for the 1958 World's Fair. It follows what happened once the fair's six-month clock ran out and the structure was due to come down as scrap. Listen for it while riding the tilted escalator tube toward the top sphere's restaurant.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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