André Waterkeyn
Encyclopedia
André Waterkeyn was a Belgian engineer, born in Wimbledon
, best known for creating the Atomium
.
Waterkeyn was the economic director of Fabrimetal, a federation of metallurgical companies when in 1954 he was asked to design a building for the 1958 World Expo
that would symbolize Belgian
engineering skills.
Waterkeyn owned the copyright
s of all reproductions of the Atomium until he passed it over to the organisation owning the original building around the years 2000. He was chairman of the board of the Atomium until 2002, when his son took over. He died in Brussels
in 2005. After his death, the top sphere and the square where the Atomium is located was named after him.
player. At the 1948 Summer Olympics
he participated with the Belgian team in the field hockey tournament
. He played one game as forward.
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, best known for creating the Atomium
Atomium
The Atomium is a monument in Brussels, originally built for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Designed by André Waterkeyn, it stands 102 metres tall...
.
Waterkeyn was the economic director of Fabrimetal, a federation of metallurgical companies when in 1954 he was asked to design a building for the 1958 World Expo
Expo '58
Expo 58, also known as the Brussels World’s Fair, Brusselse Wereldtentoonstelling or Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Bruxelles, was held from 17 April to 19 October 1958...
that would symbolize Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
engineering skills.
Waterkeyn owned the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
s of all reproductions of the Atomium until he passed it over to the organisation owning the original building around the years 2000. He was chairman of the board of the Atomium until 2002, when his son took over. He died in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 2005. After his death, the top sphere and the square where the Atomium is located was named after him.
Field hockey
He was also known as a field hockeyField hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
player. At the 1948 Summer Olympics
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
he participated with the Belgian team in the field hockey tournament
Field hockey at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Final results for the field hockey competition at the 1948 Summer Olympics:Only a men's competition occurred that year.-Medal summary:Note: The shows also only these players as medalists. They all played at least one match during the tournament...
. He played one game as forward.