Eiffel Tower to get new look in time for 120th anniversary

Beijing: Eiffel Tower will have a new look in time for its 120th anniversary in 2009, according to media reports on Monday.

After an open competition, Serero Architects of Paris has been authorized to redesign Eiffel's public viewing platform and reception areas.

According to the new plan, the top floor plate of the tower will be extended by grafting a high performance carbon Kevlar structure on it.

The structure will be temporarily bolted to the slab without any modification to the existing structure.

A spokesperson for Serero explained that the plan aims to increase the quality of access. Average waiting times for the tower's elevators currently run at more than an hour at peak times.

The design is already causing controversy, with critics questioning the wisdom of tinkering with a tourist attraction which attracts 6.9 million visitors a year.