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PARIS

Eiffel Tower to hike ticket prices by 20 percent from June

Paris city hall on Friday voted to increase the Eiffel Tower adult admission price by 20 percent from next month to help pay for urgent renovation work.

Eiffel Tower to hike ticket prices by 20 percent from June
Eiffel Tower ticket prices to rise by 20 percent (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)

Visitors currently pay €29.40 ($31.90) for a ride by lift to the top of the Eiffel tower, a price tag that is set to rise to 35.30 euros on June 17.

The Paris city council also backed a recapitalisation for Eiffel Tower operator SETE, and lowered the annual fee it charges the operator for running one of the world’s most famous monuments.

Lower visitor numbers during the Covid pandemic combined with spiralling renovation costs have pushed SETE deep into deficit.

Staff at the Eiffel Tower went on strike earlier this year, protesting against what unions said was insufficient investment.

The Eiffel Tower booked a shortfall of around 120 million euros during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

Unions argued that previous recapitalisation of 60 million euros was insufficient given the need for major maintenance work, including a fresh paint job.

The masterpiece by architect Gustave Eiffel has been repainted 19 times since it was built for the 1889 World Fair.

Eiffel recommended at the time that it should be painted every seven years to keep inevitable rust at bay.

But the 300-metre (985-feet) iron structure — 330 metres tall when the high-frequency antenna at the top is included — has not been given a full paint job since 2010.

Visitor numbers recovered to nearly six million last year, having dropped to 1.5 million in 2020 because of Covid restrictions.

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PARIS

Architects chosen for Paris Pompidou museum redesign

Architects from France, Japan and Mexico have been chosen to lead the redesign of the iconic Pompidou Centre museum in Paris, it was announced on Thursday.

Architects chosen for Paris Pompidou museum redesign

The modern art museum, originally opened in 1977, is closing for a €262 million, five-year refurbishment from September 2025 for asbestos removal and renovation.

The three architects — partners Nicolas Moreau and Hiroko Kusunoki, along with Mexico’s Frida Escobedo — will be in charge of redeveloping the art spaces at an estimated cost of €186 million.

The Moreau Kusunoki agency created the central pavilion of the Sciences-Po University campus in Paris, while Escobedo was selected in 2022 to renovate the modern art wing of the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

The Pompidou Centre said the trio will respect “the DNA” of the museum and its current architecture, originally designed by Italy’s Renzo Piano and Britain’s Richard Rogers.

Among changes will be a redesigned library and a panoramic terrace with views across central Paris.

“La Piazza”, the large open area in front of the museum, will be redeveloped with more seating areas.

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