Many exciting and knowledgeable exhibitions take place at the Atomium. One such permanent exhibition is the 3D representation of Expo 58 inside the Atomium.
Expo 58 was a World Fair held on Heysel Plateau, Brussels, Belgium, from 17th April to 19th October 1958. It was special as it was the first World Fair since World War II.
The slogan for this World Fair was “a world for a better life for mankind,” and the expo concentrated on spreading the message of the ethical use of atomic power.
Atomium Expo 58 usually refers to constructing the Atomium for the World Fair.
Relive the magic of Expo 58 with Mini-Europe and Atomium tickets, offering a journey through iconic European landmarks and the atomic age in one extraordinary visit.
Atomium Expo 58 was constructed for the World Fair. It was built as a symbol of world peace and progress, in keeping with the expo’s theme, which called for the positive use of technology.
Regarding the Atomium, a temporary exhibition was the original plan for the structure.
It saw a surge in popularity, however, and after postponing plans to demolish it many times, it was decided to let it be a permanent attraction.
The Expo 58 was solidified in history through a 3D representation made by Etienne Tollenaere. He visited the original World Fair with his sister when he was 12.
He visited the expo more than 40 times and vividly remembered every feature of the event.
Dedicating 1700 hours to this project, he made a 3D representation of Expo 58, almost identical to the finest details.
This hardworking project, made with passion and love, was added to the Atomium as a permanent exhibition in July 2020.
Inside Atomium, an exhibition explains Expo 58; its only 3D model further adds to this knowledgeable collection.
You can learn everything about the Atomium, Expo 58 and the history of the structure spanning over six decades through archived documents, photographs, videos from the original World Fair and much more.
The entire exhibition of Expo 58 in Atomium is spread out over three levels. The lower sphere features models, videos, photographs, archives, etc., of Expo 58 and everything related to it on both levels.
The other part of the exhibition is in the panorama sphere. Here, visitors can see the 1958 view from the highest sphere in Atomium.
Expo 58, or Atomium Exhibition, is a great way to understand Atomium and the history of the World Fair 1958, even if you didn’t know anything coming in.
There was another exhibition at the World Fair in 1958, one that Belgium would want everyone to forget: the Expo 58 human zoo.
Human zoos were, unfortunately, quite common at the time. Congo was still a Belgian colony in 1958, and about 700 Congolese men, women, and children were displayed at Expo 58.
The Ministry of Colonies chose these 700 people. They were urban people dressed in a “primitive” manner and were used to signal how Belgium had “civilized” them.
They were not allowed to speak to the visitors and faced some unfortunate behavior from the visitors.
Despite this, the human zoo was much acclaimed then and praised for its “historical accuracy.”
There were protests from the Congolese about the treatment they received from the crowds.
An eight-month-old baby, Juste Bonaventure Langa, passed away during Expo 58, and the human zoo was shut down after they were sent back home as the World Fair continued.
The Atomium Expo 58’s 3D model is a huge hit among tourists as it takes them back to the original event and gives them all the information about how it looked and what it featured.
The Atomium Expo 58 3D model and all the other exhibitions are another exciting activity to see inside the structure aside from the light shows, panoramic views and everything else.
Featured Image: Facebook.com(Atomium.brussels)