In the face of recent attacks and the ongoing terrorism threat in France, Paris will build a bulletproof glass wall around its most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower, according to French daily Le Parisien.
The roughly 8-foot wall will surround the Iron Lady and its gardens as part of heightened security measures as soon as this fall. This project will cost the city $22 million.
“Sadly, the risk of terrorism hasn’t gone away,” deputy mayor Jean-François Martins said at a Paris press conference, Bloomberg reports. “What scares tourists is lack of security, not security.”
The temporary fences and metal barriers that were installed around the tower since France hosted Euro 2016 soccer championship will be replaced by the clear glass wall.
“All the works to secure the Eiffel Tower are done in consultation with the local architects to preserve the aesthetics of the neighborhood,” said Jean-François Martins, assistant to the mayor in charge of tourism.
The new structure “must be able to stop bullets and vehicles,” Martins said.
The reaction from Parisians seems to be mixed. “Security agents will have better control over visitors entering and exiting the site,” said one resident to Le Parisien. But another expressed concern that the wall with spoil the overall vibe of the iconic location and prevent easy access to the Tower. “If you can’t get to the Tower easily, it will be annoying, specially to tourists.”
