Paris 2024 Olympics: Why Gustave Eiffel's descendants oppose keeping the Olympic rings on the Tower

Selon les opposants, les anneaux créent un fort déséquilibre et “modifient substantiellement les formes très pures du monument.” MAXPPP – Josselin CLAIR

Alors que la maire de Paris veut conserver les anneaux olympiques jusqu’en 2028 sur l’emblématique monument de la capitale, de nombreuses voix s’élèvent pour critiquer cette décision. Dont celles des héritiers de l’ingénieur et architecte français.

The descendants of Gustave Eiffel, opposed to keeping the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower at least until 2028, as the mayor of Paris wishes, proposed on Sunday that the City could “symbolically transfer” them to Los Angeles by the end of 2024. In a press release, the Association of Descendants of Gustave Eiffel (Adge) reaffirmed its “unfavorable position” to the “permanent preservation of the rings beyond the Olympic year 2024, without any clear date for their removal. announced”.

“Attacks on the respect and purity of the work”

On Friday, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo reiterated her wish to see the rings attached to the famous tower, which belongs to the City, remain on the historic monument until the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, “and even beyond”. This position, already expressed shortly after the opening of the Games and reaffirmed a week ago, has sparked an outcry among heritage defenders and opponents of the Socialist elected official.

“We are very happy that the rings have been associated with the Eiffel Tower for the duration of the Olympic Games”, explained the descendants of the famous engineer on Sunday, while reaffirming their opposition to this project. “As heirs of Gustave Eiffel, the members of the Adge may be led to oppose any alteration that undermines respect for the work of their ancestor”, they assure, explaining that they have consulted a law firm.

Against the notion of neutrality of the monument

However, according to them, "the hanging of the Olympic rings induces a substantial modification both on the visual aspect but also on the symbolic aspect of the Eiffel Tower". “Colorful, large in size, placed in the privileged access axis to the tower, creating a strong imbalance, the rings substantially modify the very pure forms of the monument”, they believe.

The presence of the rings on the tower beyond the duration of the Games also contradicts according to them “the neutrality and meaning acquired over the years by the Eiffel Tower, which has become the symbol of the city of Paris and even of the whole of France throughout the world”, they argue, adding that there is “no prior thematic or historical link between the tower and the Games".

Transmit the rings to Los Angeles ?

Saying that they were at the mayor's disposal for discussion, they proposed in turn that the City of Paris, "after having transmitted the Olympic flame to the city of Los Angeles, could symbolically transmit the Olympic rings to Los Angeles, by the end of 2024, which marks the end of the Olympic year".