The Brussels Atomium is a large metal structure representing an iron molecule magnified by up to 165 billion times. The Atomium was built especially for the 1958 Brussels World Expo, and symbolised the democratic will of all nations to maintain peace, their belief in technical and scientific progress, and ultimately their optimistic vision of how new technologies of the future would serve to improve human life.

The Atomium is 102 metres high. It consists of 9 stainless steel spheres which measure up to 18 metres in diameter. Each sphere is connected by pipes with a diameter of 3 metres and a length of 23 metres. The weight of the structure is 2 400 tonnes. The Atomium is a totem in the Brussels skyline. It is neither a tower nor a pyramid, a slightly cubic, slightly spherical object that oscillates between sculpture and architecture. It is no wonder that it is considered a relic of Brussels’ past, with its bold futuristic style, and is home to a museum and an exhibition centre.

Visitors of the Atomium can walk around in 5 spheres and climb 20 tubes. A molecule magnified billions of times was the centrepiece of the 1958 Brussels World Expo. It symbolised the democratic will of all nations to maintain peace, the belief in technical and scientific progress, and finally the optimistic vision of how new technologies of the future would serve to better the lives of humanity.