Ahead of hosting the 2024 Olympic Games, Paris is getting a makeover – including painting the Eiffel Tower gold!
Since its construction, the Eiffel Tower has changed colour several times. Occasional renovations, wear and tear, and the passage of time means The Iron Lady has adorned herself in many colours during her lifetime. But for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is starting one of its most important renovations. A restoration will see the most famous of Parisian monuments regain its original colour – the one desired by designer Gustave Eiffel in 1907 – a sort of brown-yellow which will give a golden effect.
Though the Eiffel Tower was red when it was inaugurated in 1889, it quickly changed colour to match Eiffel’s tastes. The current colour, known as “Eiffel Tower brown”, dates from 1968, meaning the tower is long overdue a paint job. Work on the new coat of paint began at the end of 2019, and will be completed in 2022, ahead of the city’s hosting gig.
It’s already possible to get a glimpse of the new colour by looking at the top of the Eiffel Tower, especially on sunny days. For anyone who’s not in Paris right now though, we’ll have to wait until 2022 to admire the Iron Lady adorned with gold!