The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous architectural structures in the entire world. It is also one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world. Unfortunately, due to the harsh realities of the times in which we live, increased security measures are found at just about all of the world’s most famous tourist attractions, not only making them less accessible, but also adding unsightly walls, metal detectors, and metal fences.
The Eiffel Tower is no exception, as metal fences erected as preventive measures when Paris hosted the Euro football tournament last year surround its base. These metal fences may soon be a thing of the past, however, as a new proposal suggests replacing them with an eight-foot-high bulletproof glass walls instead, reports qz.com.
The glass wall would protect the Eiffel Tower and two adjacent ponds, causing tourists to clear security checkpoints before being allowed access. While still not ideal, the hope is that the clear glass walls will be much less noticeable and more aesthetically pleasing than the current metal fences.
The main goals of replacing the current security measures are to improve the look, make access easier, and strengthen the protection of visitors and staff, according to Paris’s Deputy Mayor Jean-François Martins. It is estimated the glass wall will cost around $21 million.
Paris has been the target of multiple terrorist attacks in the recent past, and the city is actively seeking counter-terrorism architecture and urban planning solutions that preserve the charm of the historic city.
Related Stories
| May 14, 2013
Easy net-zero energy buildings [infographic]
"Be a Zero Hero" infographic educates building industry professionals on ultra energy-efficient structural insulated panel construction
| Apr 23, 2013
Building material innovation: Concrete cloth simplifies difficult pours
Milliken recently debuted a flexible fabric that allows for concrete installations on slopes, in water, and in other hard to reach places—without the need for molds or mixing.
| Apr 16, 2013
5 projects that profited from insulated metal panels
From an orchid-shaped visitor center to California’s largest public works project, each of these projects benefited from IMP technology.
| Mar 29, 2013
Sheetrock Brand UltraLight Panels first and only ICC ES compliant panel for ceilings
USG Corporation, a leading building products company and the industry innovator in lightweight drywall, is pleased to announce that its award-winning SHEETROCK® UltraLight Panels are now ICC Evaluation Services compliant for installation on ceilings with the long edges parallel to the framing.
| Mar 20, 2013
Folding glass walls revitalize student center
Single-glazed storefronts in the student center at California’s West Valley College were replaced with aluminum-framed, thermally broken windows from NanaWall in a bronze finish that emulates the look of the original building.
| Feb 28, 2013
Lend Lease builds world's tallest timber apartment building
Construction giant Lend Lease recently put the finishing touches on Forté, a 10-story apartment complex in Melbourne, Australia's Victoria Harbour that was built entirely with cross laminated timber (CTL) technology.
| Sep 7, 2012
The keys to success in the K-12 school market
When educators and school administrators describe their vision for new K-12 school buildings as ‘21st-century learning spaces,’ they’re not exaggerating. Many new schools are truly different in concept from their counterparts of only a few years ago.
| Jul 13, 2012
July 2012: Products at Work
Panel wall system, folding windows, rubber flooring, wire mesh railings.
