Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is considering installing new, “lighter” Olympic rings to replace the old ones, without revealing more details. A “technical study” has been launched.
New Olympic Rings “as big but lighter” Soon “installed in the same place” than those currently enthroned on the Eiffel Tower? This is the ambition of the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who has just announced her wish to preserve this strong symbol of the success of this global event. “It’s a beautiful idea to combine the Eiffel Tower (…) with the Games. I want the two to remain united.”she expressed herself in an interview with Ouest France this weekend, assuring that she was the sole mistress of this decision and that she had, in addition, the agreement of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) in advance. But beyond the announcement effect, and while many are already protesting this sudden decision taken, according to them, without consultation, many questions remain unanswered. The Figaro takes stock.
Where is the project at this stage?
“Any development decision relating to the Eiffel Tower must first be the subject of an investigation, taking into account the technical issues,” confirms the entourage of the mayor of Paris. Reason why the IOC “is currently conducting a technical study to examine the modalities, cost and timetable for such an installation”they say at the City Hall. The conclusions are awaited “in the coming months”.
In the meantime, the municipality intends to do “to perpetuate the Olympic symbol”with “the temporary installation of rings on the Pont d’Iéna, which will be reserved for pedestrians, cyclists, buses and emergency vehicles” after the Games, according to the mayor’s wishes. Her teams add that she “will support any positive initiative that will help keep the spirit of the Games alive after the Games”.
Why not keep the old rings?
As a reminder, the official Olympic rings – which weigh no less than 30 tonnes of steel – were made by ArcelorMittal. They were assembled in one night, at the beginning of June, before being hoisted between the first and second floors of the Iron Lady. This 29-metre long and 13-metre high installation – the cost of which has remained confidential – was entirely covered by the Cojo, and should be removed at the end of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in mid-September.
However, the tripartite agreement signed by Arcelor Mittal, Paris 2024 and the Société d’exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE) does not provide for the maintenance of the Olympic rings beyond the Games. “The laying of the rings on the ground, planned for mid-September, as were their manufacture and installation, is in fact part of our contract. It will then be up to the other parties to decide what they will do with them.”explains ArcelorMittal. The group is, in fact, no longer the owner of the now famous Olympic rings since they were hung from the Eiffel Tower.
As to whether they could stay in place, that is out of the question: “simply because the rings were created on the basis of a temporary hanging, in summer, planned to be removed in mid-September”. It would therefore be too dangerous to leave them there any longer. This is confirmed by the Paris municipality.
Who supports the project?
While the idea of maintaining strong symbols of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris seems to be a consensus, the idea of keeping the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower is not really unanimous. “Keeping these rings in Paris seems good to me (…) but keeping them on the Eiffel Tower would be a mistake”believes for example the deputy of Paris Renaissance Sylvain Maillard, who sees in the Iron Lady “a timeless monument”. “I think we shouldn’t touch the Eiffel Tower too much”he said on Monday on France Blue.
Within the municipal opposition, there is annoyance in advance at this project described, without any detour, as “bad idea”. For the vice-president of the Changer Paris group, David Alphand, “It’s a total fad that doesn’t meet any demand”. He even evokes “a whim of Madame Hidalgo.” “When France won its first World Cup in 1998, no one had the crazy idea of hanging a replica of the cup at the top of the Eiffel Tower. It is not made to hang anything and everything on it.”he says again.
How much will these rings cost?
At this stage, and while waiting for the conclusions of the technical study, no one is able to say how much these rings will cost. In Anne Hidalgo’s entourage, they prefer to dodge the issue: for the moment, no one knows anything. The same dismay is felt by SETE, which is struggling to answer all the questions raised by this thunderous announcement, as well as by the Cojo, which is limited to noting that it “It will be up to the competent actors to express themselves” on the subject.
“It’s a facility that would probably be quite expensive.”fears David Alphand all the same, predicting that the rings permanently installed will have to “to withstand bad weather, not to be too exposed to the wind and not to be too heavy, without falling apart”. “We remember the Olympic poster at the Hôtel de Ville, which cost 1.2 million euros, that already gives an idea of what the mayor of Paris is capable of burning to do communication”he tackles elsewhere.
Also readCan the Olympic rings really stay on the Eiffel Tower?
Does the mayor of Paris really have the right to do this?
A publicity stunt that the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, does not intend to let happen, considering that the Eiffel Tower is “a protected monument”. “Respect for his architectural gesture and his work requires, before making any substantial modification, a work permit and an impact assessment, in accordance with the heritage code”she said. The hanging of the Olympic rings “had been exceptionally exempted by Olympic law”but only “temporarily”. Before adding: “Before any decision is made and any announcement is made in this matter, it is important that all procedures and consultations aimed at protecting heritage are respected”.
The heritage code (article L. 621-27) provides that “the building registered as a historic monument cannot be subject to any modification without the regional prefect having been notified four months in advance”. This article further specifies that “the decision granting the permit or the decision of non-opposition cannot be made without the agreement of the administrative authority responsible for historic monuments”. For her part, the mayor of Paris assures that this decision “falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Paris, taking into account the status of the Eiffel Tower, and of the IOC concerning the use of the rings”. On this last point, she also claims to have “received strong support” by Thomas Bach, IOC President.
