XIII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2021

The Atomium is one of the main symbols of Brussels, which is a model of the crystal lattice of iron. The Atomium monument is located in the Northern part of the city, Mini-Europe. Atomium is a monument to the peaceful atom.

The Atomium was created in 1958 for the opening of the Expo-58 World Exhibition. The futuristic building symbolizes the atomic age, the great potential of atomic energy and its peaceful use for scientific purposes.
The author of the Atomium project was Belgian civil engineer Andre Waterkane. Its construction began in 1957 under the guidance of architects Andre and Jean Polak. Initially, the structure was coated with aluminum, but during the restoration in 2006 it was covered with a steel sheath.

The height of the Atomium is 102 m, its weight is about 2400 tons, and the diameter of each of the nine spheres is 18 m. Six of them are accessible to visitors. The spheres are interconnected by 23 m pipes containing escalators and connecting corridors. In total, there are 20 connecting pipes between the balls. In the middle of them there is an elevator that can lift visitors to the restaurant and observation platform, located in the upper ball of the Atomium, in 25 seconds.

The Atomium was not supposed to go beyond the limits of the World Fair, but it became one of the most visited attractions in Brussels. In the afternoon, steel atoms shine in the sun, and in the evening they are highlighted with colored illumination.

The panorama of Brussels, opening from this platform, is beautiful: the city is visible, in full view, with all its palaces, cathedrals, cozy curved streets of the historical part of the city and buildings of modern architecture. Anyone who has come up here can enjoy the enchanting spectacle of the Belgian capital from a bird's eye view. From here, you can also take a closer look at the Europa Miniature Park, which is located nearby. The Atomium is an amazing building, which serves as a museum, an observation deck, entertainment and a restaurant. In the highest sphere on the 8th level is the panoramic restaurant Belgium Taste (Taste of Belgium). Its windows offer breathtaking views.

For the integration and development of children, the educational project Kids ’sphere was created. The creators of the project invite children aged 6 to 12 to spend a night in the Atomium. Children admire the panoramic views of Brussels, watch a funny movie, have dinner and spend a night in sleeping capsules. The next day, children have breakfast and watch a presentation about the Atomium.

At the lower levels of the building are temporary exhibitions. A permanent exhibition is also presented, which tells the 60-year history of this pavilion and how it eventually became a symbol of Brussels and Belgium. Archival documents and photographs from Expo-58 have been preserved here.

At the foot of the Atomium in Brüpark is a Mini-Europe-an amazing Park where you can catch a glimpse of famous European structures on a scale of 1:25.

Here are the most popular attractions: the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, arc de Triomphe, Leaning Tower of Pisa and others. In addition, the Park has many moving objects-mills, high-speed trains, cars and gondolas of Venice. You can also watch the fall of the Berlin wall, the eruption of Vesuvius and the bullfight in Seville. In total, there are about 350 monuments and 80 cities in Mini-Europe, reproduced with high accuracy. The production of some models cost hundreds of thousands of euros. In the dark all the exhibits are highlighted and this makes them look more natural.

In conclusion, it’s important to note that the Atomium is still the most famous landmark of the city that people around the world want to visit.

List of references:

URL: https://tonkosti.ru/Монумент_«Атомиум»

URL: https://planetofhotels.com/belgiya/bryussel/atomium

URL: https://wikiway.com/belgium/bryussel/atomium/