Belgium’s iconic Atomium gets airborne on Brussels Airlines plane

Brussels Airlines has chosen the Atomium as the new design for painting one of its aircraft. The Atomium design was chosen from the five most popular designs out of more than 900 entries. The winner of the design competition is Thomas Faes, a Belgian architect.

“The Atomium has been luring visitors to Belgium for years, now the iconic Belgian monument itself can travel around the world,” Brussels Airlines says of its next ‘Belgian Icon.’

Already visible in airline’s logo

According to CEO Dorothea von Boxberg, choosing the final design was a complicated knot to cut, but “the Atomium is already visible on our uniforms today, and even our logo with nine spheres is a nod to the Atomium. Therefore, this feels like a very natural choice.”

However, the Atomium did not initially trigger the winner, Thomas Faes. The Atomium, a landmark modernist building designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn and the architects André and Jean Polak, was initially constructed as the centerpiece of the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair.

It is now located on the Heysel. Indeed, a few hours before the deadline to submit a design, Faes dumped his original proposal around the Art Nouveau theme and started all over again.

Childhood memories

“I wanted the design to be truly universal,” says Faes, who eventually submitted an Atomium design in addition to two Art Nouveau designs. “For me, the Atomium is the symbol representing Belgium.”

“I have childhood memories, such as when I was in awe at the foot of this iconic monument on a school trip. The brightness and mirror effect of the spheres allows everyone to see something different in them. As an architect, I tried translating what I perceived with the naked eye into a more technical drawing. I am so proud that my Atomium project will soon take to the skies as part of the Brussels Airlines fleet.”

Premiere for spring 2025

Brussels Airlines already has several aircraft in its fleet with unique designs: the Tintin aircraft “Rackham,” the Tomorrowland aircraft “Amare” and “Trident,” the official aircraft of the Red Devils and Red Flames.

Previous themed planes had decorations featuring Magritte, the Smurfs, and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. So now, with the choice of the Atomium, Brussels’ most popular tourist attraction, a new ‘Belgian Icon’ has been added.

The jury included singer Sandra Kim, musician Alex Callier of Hooverphonic, cartoonist Philippe Geluck, and Michèle George, who won two gold medals at the Paralympic Games. The plane will be presented to the public in the spring of 2025.