This is your last chance to shoot the Eiffel tower without a hideous wall
Feb 16, 2017
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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It seems another controversial wall may be getting ready to be built. In France, this time. In a $20 million project, the French government plans to construct an 8.2ft high bulletproof glass wall around the base of the Eiffel Tower. The primary goal is to increase protection against potential terrorism, but it’s been harshly criticised by locals as “tasteless” and an “eyesore”.
The wall is set to be completed by autumn, and critics have suggested it will undermine the French capital’s tourism industry even further. Paris tourism has already suffered as the result of a series of terrorist attacks that have killed more than 230 people in the last few years. Despite this, the tower still draws around 6 million visitors per year.
Despite the aesthetic complaints, they say the wall will improve the look, and make access easier. Whether or not it will indeed improve the look remains to be seen. Of course, it will likely look better than the “temporary” metal grid barriers that have been in place since the Euro 2016 football championships last June. But will it look as good as it did before those barriers went up?
Some doubt has also been cast upon how effective a glass wall would actually be. I would assume, though, that it’s not the standard tempered glass we use in our homes. I would imagine it would be somewhat tougher, and able to deal with much greater impacts.
Still, for photographers, if the glass is thick enough to stop a vehicle, it’s going to cause all kinds of refraction issues. And you’re going to want to bring a polariser with you to get rid of those reflections.
[via USA Today]
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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5 responses to “This is your last chance to shoot the Eiffel tower without a hideous wall”
Well I think it will look better than the 8ft high chain link fence that surrounds it now. They put that up for the Euro Cup and that looks bad. It will still be free to walk under the tower at first. but, that makes it much easier for them to start charging just to walk through the gate at a later date.
I think it’s a hoax. Can you provide sources about this “info” ?
I’m french and living in paris for the past 12 years. The glass wall is a real project.
But the carousel a the right of the image make something like 16 feet, so do you really think a 2.5 meter wall be an disadvantage to photograph a monument of 300 meters.
According to Trump it’s going to be great…
Instead of a “fence” they should go with some older technology, a “moat” big enough to eat a large truck!?!
Curious, when built “they” also said the Eiffel Tower was “tasteless” and an “eyesore.”