The Olympic rings no longer adorn the Eiffel Tower. They are soon to be replaced by new ones and will be attached to the Paris landmark by the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The five rings, with a total length of 29 meters and a height of 15 meters, had been hanging between the first and second floors of the Eiffel Tower since June. Mayor Anne Hidalgo supported the plan for the rings to remain there until 2028. However, the 30-ton steel structure is not designed for winter conditions.
The City of Paris, owner of the Eiffel Tower, and the International Olympic Committee, owner of the rights to the Olympic logo, say they want to work on a new, lighter and more durable structure; the old rings are to be melted down.
Until the new rings are installed, a smaller version has been erected on the Pont d'Iéna near the Eiffel Tower in order to "create continuity", as the city administration explained.
The installation of the rings over several years has earned Mayor Hidalgo criticism from monument conservationists and the descendants of tower architect Gustave Eiffel. The latter are of the opinion that the project would damage the work that was built 135 years ago. The Eiffel Tower was not intended to carry an "advertising sign". After all, the Olympic rings are a commercially exploited trademark.
