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Basin and rings, the symbols of the Olympics soon returning to Paris?

undefined undefined 5 janvier 2025 undefined 08h30

The Editor

© Alexandre.ROSA / Shutterstock

The year 2024 was marked by various events, both big and small. At the forefront of these moments were the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, a true international success. The capital is eager to kick off 2025 by continuing to ride the wave of this global event, once again showcasing to the public the symbols of these games, the Olympic rings and the flame's cauldron.

While 2024 was quite a magical year, especially thanks to the exceptional Olympics in the capital, one might have thought that the transition to 2025 would put an end to this unique chapter. Well, not so fast! As the year has barely started, debates are already heating up about what will happen to the emblems of these Games. And while the rings are expected to return to the Iron Lady, the fate of the bowl remains, for now, quite unclear.


The Eiffel Tower Reclaims Its Rings

For a few weeks, they transformed the Parisian landscape. The massive Olympic rings, installed on the Iron Lady throughout the games, could make their grand return in 2025. That’s the hope of the Mayor of Paris and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). A wish that is bound to stir some conversations, since...

and the maintenance of the rings after the games had already sparked a debate last year.

For this grand comeback, the various stakeholders have envisioned creating new rings, which are more lightweight and capable of better resisting temperature variations and humidity. However, there is a catch: this decision is not universally supported, especially among the members of the Sete (Society for the use of the Eiffel Tower), who remind us that the monument’s image is protected and cannot normally be altered. So, it remains to be seen if the necessary permissions will be granted, or if the rings will stay on the Iéna bridge, where they currently are.


The basin will rise again

The fate of the basin, on the other hand, remains more uncertain.

ng>, and many locations are in the running for the succession of the Tuileries Garden. Among them, one stands out. It's the Hangar Y, in Meudon, an iconic site built by Gustave Eiffel in 1878, and the first airship hangar in the world. A wonderful and fitting place to host this new balloon. The venue, which submitted a candidacy file at the end of last year, has also welcomed the designer of the basin to assess the feasibility of the project.

Beyond the story of the site, which resonates with the stunning shape of this basin, considerations of budget and maintenance have also been discussed, and it seems that everything is aligning for this luminous hot air balloon to rise once again in the sky. In any case, the decision should be made very soon, as next summer has been mentioned as the deadline for the basin to take flight.