The Eiffel Tower is going to turn off its lights And, by extension, the entire Paris horizon could become a little darker. At the end of this week, the Paris City Council is expected to propose that the tower light goes out more than an hour before what currently does, according to a report by The Guardian. If it is put into practice, The Eiffel Tower will go out at 23:45 instead of at 1 in the morning.
The plan comes at a time when Europe faces a growing energy crisislargely due to the cascade effects of Russia's invasion to Ukraine. However, the measure, like the tower itself, is largely symbolic. The director of the Torre, Jean-François Martins, told the publication that the gesture was «part of the growing awareness of energy sobriety», since currently only 4% of the annual consumption of energy of the tower comes from the night lighting.
Described by European officials as «energy blackmail», Russia has been about to cut all access to natural gas which the continent has depended for years, since European nations support Ukraine. The result is a vertiginous rise in energy prices, both for individuals and for organizations, which makes cities launch energy savings measures. Paris would not be the first city that decreases night lighting in cultural places or monuments, although in other places, the decision is often more out of necessity than to make a point. Last month, cities throughout Germany applied multiple strategies to save energy, such as off the lights of 200 monuments and government buildings.
The plan proposed by the City Council does not seem to affect the night show of monument lights. At the moment, The tower flashes for five minutes every hour from dusk until the last demonstration at 1 in the morning. During this last iteration, all structural lights go out leaving only the flashes until the tower is completely darkened. Although it is not clear how this closing show will change, it is likely that it will continue to take place at the end of the night lighting period, concluding around 12:45 in the morning.
Although it was built in 1887, The Eiffel Tower illuminated for the first time as we know it today in 1985. Before that, ten thousand gas spotlights were used to highlight the structure, with external projectors that added additional spotlights at the base.
Article originally published in Ad us.
Translation and adaptation of Fernanda Toral.