The Atomium was built for the World's Fair in Brussels in 1958. Designed by the architect André Waterkeyn, it was originally meant to last only 6 months.
The monument has a total height of 103 meters. The spheres, which have a diameter of 18 meters, are connected by escalators. In the upper sphere there's a panoramic view of the city of Brussels, and in the other spheres there are several exhibitions.
Much-needed renovation work starts in 2003.
wikipedia.org dumped 2003-03-17 with terodump