In 1958, Belgium organized a large-scale world exhibition, which showed the world’s confidence in technological progress and success. No fewer than 44 countries took part in Expo 58, which all featured impressive pavilions in which they presented the achievements of their country to the rest of the world. The Atomium was undoubtedly the biggest eye-catcher at Expo 58, a colossal Belgian building designed by engineer André Waterkeyn.

For many people it is still unclear what the Atomium exactly represents. Some claime that it depicts an iron atom, or an “iron molecule.” In fact, the Atomium represents the way in which iron atoms are arranged in a piece of iron. Iron is made up of a regular structure of iron atoms, a so-called crystal structure that takes the form of consecutive cubes. There is an iron atom at every corner and in the center of every cube. Metallurgists call this structure “cubically spatially centered”. The 9 spheres of the Atomium represent the iron atoms in one elementary cube, magnified 165 billion times.

Engineer André Waterkeyn, director at Fabrimetal (the federation of the Belgian metal industry), was commissioned in 1954 to design a monument for Expo 58. It had to become a monument that highlighted the achievements and know-how of the Belgian metal industry. The Atomium in Brussels had to radiate optimism and confidence in the future. The sketches and models of Waterkeyn were approved. Architects André and Jean Polak made detailed construction drawings of the colossal structure. Workers worked on the giant structure for 19 months. On April 17, 1958, at 2 o’clock in the morning, the Atomium was finally completely finished. Expo 58 opened its doors on the same day.

The Atomium made a huge impression on the visitors of Expo 58 from the start. It was (and still is) an astonishing construction: 102 meters high, spheres with a diameter of 18 meters, tubes with a diameter of 3.3 meters, a weight of 2400 tonnes (after the renovation increased to 2500 tonnes). The construction is made of steel, but the architects originally opted for an aluminum covering of the spheres. You move from one sphere to another via normal stairs and escalators. A fast lift takes you to the upper sphere, where the view over the Heysel plateau and Brussels is absolutely stunning. This lift reaches a speed of 5 meters per second and was the fastest lift in the world in 1958. You reach the top in 20 seconds.