The controversy over the plan to permanently display the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower is growing, with Paris City Hall insisting that they would not disfigure the monument, while the descendants of its creator and lovers of the tower are opposed to it.
The proposed addition would also run afoul of existing standards designed to protect the integrity and authenticity of historic monuments.
“The Eiffel Tower is a protected monument, the work of an immense engineer and creator”, Gustave Eiffel, recalled the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati.
“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 stressed.
The resigning minister clarified that the hanging of the rings had been authorised “on a temporary basis”.
A giant Olympic logo was erected on the tower ahead of the July 28-August 11 Olympics, becoming a popular backdrop for visitors’ selfies.
However, Paris Mayor Anne Hidaldo announced on Saturday her intention to perpetuate the five intertwined rings by replacing them with new, lighter versions.
“The idea is to perpetuate the events that Paris has experienced,” deputy mayor Pierre Rabadan, responsible for sports, told AFP.
The logo “does not change the architecture of the tower. The tower continues to evolve over time,” he said, referring to the addition of a telecommunications antenna at the top of the “Iron Lady” in 2022.
“We are not defacing anything. We are going to add a powerful symbol to this iconic structure and this historic Parisian monument,” he insisted.
But the association of Gustave Eiffel’s descendants made it known on Sunday that it was opposed to the idea of the tower becoming an “advertising outpost”.
Above all, French and foreign people keen to defend the integrity and authenticity of the emblematic monument of Paris were quick to react.
A petition on Change.org against the idea had gathered 34,000 signatures as of Tuesday evening.
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