At least, that’s the promise made by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo
Since this past Friday, the Eiffel Tower is back to its original appearance – all iron and no Olympic Rings – after workers removed the logo of the Games from the iconic structure in the heart of Paris. According to the mayor of the city, Anne Hidalgo, the Rings will soon be back up though featuring a lighter and weather-resistant design.
The mayor’s idea is to keep the Olympic logo on the Eiffel Tower until the start of the next Games in Los Angeles in 2028 as a way of keeping the jubilant spirit of sports events alive in the hearts of Parisians. Not everyone feels enthusiastic about this plan though, with the French cultural minister having warned Madame Hidalgo not to mess with the heritage site.
In addition, conservation groups in Paris have urged the Socialist city leader to prioritise the maintenance of the Eiffel Tower, which is owned and operated by the city, rather than the Olympic rings.
Continuity of Olympic spirit
It appears that the decision of the mayor to keep the Rings until 2028 is sort of a compromise since her original plan was to have them stay permanently on the Eiffel Tower. The descendants of Gustave Eiffel, the architect of the structure, didn’t find that idea appealing since it would break away from the tradition of keeping the tower free of advertisements.
As for those residents who have grown attached to the Rings, they need not despair either. Apparently, while everyone’s waiting for the lighter rings to “re-appear” on the Eiffel Tower, smaller rings have been hung on the Pont d’Iéna (bridge), nearby, to “create continuity,” according to the City Hall.
