Atomium - it came from the Future, to 1958! (Atomium (Brussels))

Member Name: The Daz

Product:	Atomium (Brussels)
Date:	23/09/08 (215 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing views, a once in a lifetime experience.

Disadvantages: Not the greatest amount to do.

'Great idea - let's shrink the visitors down to Sub-Atomic level, and let them wander around an Iron Crystal. Do we have a device we can use to shrink the visitors, and then re-enlarge them later?'

In 1958 - science was a bit like this. Think of all those wacky ideas to get us colonised on Mars by 2010 and all have personal robots in homes. (Oh the lunacy of it all). Thankfully though, the planners for the 1958 International Exhibition Of Brussels (another convoluted title, and oh look, parentheses!), decided it would be easier to make the Iron Crystal larger and let visitors wander around it without fear of accidental permanent shrinkage. 165 billion times is the factor by which the atomic structure was enlarged - and staggeringly huge it is too. Standing proud and gleaming wildly in the sunlight, the Atomium sits atop the Heysel Plateau on the northwestern edge of Brussels. Basically a cube tilted upon one point, the shape describes a cuboid with interlinking nodes - nature's clever isn't it!

Standing 102 metres tall, and consisting of 9 linked spheres, each of 18 metres diameter, the Atomium, designed by Andre Waterkeyn is certainly an innovative and unique structure. Built of Steel interlinking trusses, with a 500 tonne concrete foundation, the structure was at the forefront of designing hollow yet strong tubes of great length. The spheres are covered in thin triangular panels of Aluminium that follow great circle diameters (lots of Maths involved), allowing the insertion of small lights to facilitate nightly lightshows. The windows in the topmost sphere are actually plexiglass, and the shaped in the same triangular panels as the skin of the spheres. The lower spheres have elliptical port holes for light and maintenance, but are otherwise only internally lit.

Technically speaking - the shape has been enlarged by a larger factor than the Nodes - but the size of the spheres was reduced to make them stable and easier to build.

The topmost sphere, a combination observation deck and restaurant, offer stunning views over the area. Looking North and West, the fields of Flanders stretch before you, whilst to the South and East, the leafy suburbs of Stuyvesant and Laeken gradually build into the urbanised mass of the City Centre. Just about discernible some 5 miles away are the office blocks and churches that sit adjacent in the City Centre, leading East to the European Union buildings, past the Cinquantenaire (shameless plug for my Museum review), and further across to the Nato HQ on the edge of Brussels.

Visiting: Practicalities first. Take Metro line 1A which shoots northwards to Heysel (Direction Rue Baudouin). The station also serves Mini-Europe; a wacky miniaturised theme-park which never seems to be open, a giant Waterpark, and a large selection of restaurants, cafes and bars. Collectively known as Brupark - this was an attempt to liven up the area, which can seem a bit isolated and dull out of season. Packed full in the Summer however, this green lung of Brussels is a haven for those seeking some light relief and fresh air, away from the Eurocrat-driven business of the City Centre.
Trams are also available, and the #94 line weaves gently through the Flemish suburbs of the northwest of the City up to a stop adjacent to the Metro Station.

The Atomium is open from 10:00 am - 5pm from October to April, opening til 6pm in the Summer, and til 10pm on Thursdays. The office is open longer, as large groups form and it does take time to process them and allocate guides (usually best for a bunch of kids!)

Standing between two grand avenues, and surrounded by Parkland on two sides, the Brupark and Metro to the West and the remnants of the International Exhibition site (grand Nouveau inspired edifices now used for conferences) to the North, the Atomium is rather hard to miss. It's certainly...different.
Access is limited however, due to the original design and the complexities of the structure - elevators run between the middle spheres, stairs lead up from the bottom to the middle spheres, and a lift shoots only to the topmost sphere and back (although it was the world's fastest at inception). The ticket office is a new structure outside, and now has the obligatory shop inside. Tickets cost 9 Euros for Adults, 6 for 12-18 year olds and Seniors, and Free for under 12s'. It's quite pricey when you realise what you get for your entrance, but updating the Atomium for the modern age, and the temporary closure in 2006 for urgent repairs did cost a lot of money, and yet more money is needed to keep the Atomium safe and open at the same time. The 3 higher spheres that branch off from the top are closed due to wind instability, leaving you with 5 to peruse.

The bottom sphere (named after Henri Storck) has a few bits of paraphernalia relating to the design of the building, and plenty of Expo 58' merchandise available. Stairs lead up to the top of the sphere, from where elevators lead you up a 115ft tube to the 3 middle spheres. The top of the bottom sphere (tautology for you) houses a Kids' Dormitory, where the school groups can sleep out on a field trip in some funkily designed beds. Moving upwards - one of the middle spheres (Marcel Broodthaers) is where the temporary exhibitions are sited - it was a surreal collection of Barbie Dolls when I visted!. Another also has information on the building of the Atomium, which was quite a feat of engineering, planning and a lesser amount of sanity, for the 1950s'. The Middle sphere (Waterkeyns) contains a rather lacklustre bar, but plenty of nice seating, strange light effects and weird echoes emanating between the tubes and spheres. The whole atmosphere of these middle spheres is one of puzzlement and wonder - the escalators are long and narrow and reminiscent of a B Movie Spaceship, the spheres are huge internally and totally static, you forget you're perched 40 metres above the ground, and most visitors are also usually quiet too, presumably lost in the same mix of awe and the confusion as to what you've paid 9 Euros to come and see. The random sections of wacky art usually lift your spirits though, and at no point did I feel that I was wasting my life being in there.

The best experience however, once you've got back down to the bottom sphere is to take the aforementioned lift up to the Observation Deck. The Taste in the Sky Restaurant is open from 7:30pm - 11:00 pm, and serves up a fine A La Carte Menu. A bit pricey and fancy for my tastes, but an eminently splendid viewing spot in which to dine. The glass that surrounds the sphere from waist height upwards is truly amazing, and the views as mentioned earlier are panoramic. You can also dare your vertigo and look downwards to the other spheres, and see how clever all the interlinking nodes are, and then worry slightly at how it all perches on just the central bottom sphere and the emergency stairs below each middle sphere.

In summary - to avoid disappointment at a visit to the Atomium you need to understand its purpose as a Monument and piece of Art.
Compared to a Science Museum or a sprawling tourist attraction it lacks in energy and activity somewhat, but it exists mainly: to look back on Expo 58, to provide a centre point for the Heysel Plateau and its other facilities, and to showcase its magnificent Engineering. Originally planned to come down shortly after the Expo, the National feeling was for it to remain as a Monument to Belgian pride, and as such it fits the bill perfectly - being both unique and entertaining. The ongoing renovations and updates will ensure it remains standing a good deal longer still.

To make sure you feel it'd be worth a visit, consider - how many tall buildings with observation decks are there? Loads! How many Atomic Structure based, precariously balanced steel structures with observation decks are there? See.....

Summary: Great experience, but don't expect a day's worth of entertainment.