Bruxelles – Atomium

What do people expect from the future? What are the predictions for our future on this planet? Well, the answers to these questions are constantly changing. But at any time, there are certain “fashionable” answers.

I always found it quite interesting and characteristic for a certain time period to look at how they answer these questions.

The Atomium in Brussels was built for the 1958’s Brussels World Fair – the Expo 58. It was designed by the two brothers André Polak and Jean Polak (both architects) and the engineer André Waterkeyn.

The name Atomium is a combination of atom and aluminium, as its spheres were originally covered in aluminium. But the Atomium actually shows an α-iron crystal (ferrite) with nine iron atoms, magnified 165 billion times.

Originally, Belgium wanted to build a very high antenna in the centre of the Expo – to show off the technical possibilities and expertise. So what were the reasons to decide on building the Atomium?

This is what you can find on Wikipedia:

“In the 1950s, faith in scientific progress was great, and a structure depicting atoms was chosen to highlight humanity's advance in science, including nuclear physics, of which Belgium itself was an avid practitioner ever since the Belgian Congo's uranium became the dominant source of material used for nuclear fission, including that used for the world's first nuclear weapons. With the Atomium, Belgium wanted to highlight and promote the post-war ideal to peacefully apply atomic research and other advancements in technology in order to improve lives and serve the betterment of mankind.”

Europe / Belgium

Lat: 50° 53' 42.288" N
Long: 4° 20' 29.198" E

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: High. Pinpoints the exact spot.

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