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| Eiffel Tower | Pic by Adeceilings.com |
The Eiffel Tower is reportedly full of rust and in need of a complete overhaul. But instead given cosmetic paint ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Reporting from CNN, Tuesday (5/7/2022) this 324 meter high iron tower ahead of the 2024 Olympics to be held in Paris was smeared with cosmetic paint worth 60 million Euros. Even though the tower needs more repairs because it is rusty.
The Eiffel Tower was first built by Gustave Eiffel in the late 19th century. Now this tower is a world destination visited by 6 million people every year.
According to a confidential report by experts quoted from Marianne shows that this iconic monument is in bad condition and full of rust.
"Simply put, if Gustave Eiffel visited that place, he would have a heart attack," an unnamed manager at the tower told Marianne.
CNN has also contacted the company that oversees the tower, Societe d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE). However, the intended contact could not be reached for comment.
This time the tower was painted and this is the 20th time the Eiffel Tower has been repainted.
Experts told Marianne that the job was just a cosmetic facelift and expected the end result to be pathetic. They say the towers need to be completely stripped back to metal, repaired and repainted, and coating new paint over old paint makes corrosion worse.
"About 30% of the tower should have been replaced and then had two new coats applied but work delays caused by the COVID pandemic. Also the presence of lead in the old paint means only 5% will be treated," said Marianne.
They also mentioned SETE was reluctant to close the tower for a long time because of lost tourist revenue.
In the Guardian also written several reports about the condition of the Eiffel Tower.
In 2010, a report asked SETE to pay close attention to their policies regarding maintenance on aging metal structure testing.
In 2014, paint company Expiris discovered that the tower was cracked and rusted. And only 10% of the new paint on the tower sticks to the structure.
A third report in 2016 found 884 faults, including 68 that were said to pose a risk to the structure's durability. Each error is photographed, numbered and classified according to the level of seriousness.
At the tower site, Bertrand Lemoine, an architect, engineer and historian provides a more optimistic and different view from experts. He said the enemy of iron is corrosion, which is caused by the oxidation of iron exposed to air and water. And he said that if repainted, the Eiffel Tower could last forever.