The visitor gazing from close at hand, or venturing inside, is surprised and baffled by the building and leaves it at last with unaccustomed thoughts.

The Atomium symbolizes this age of ours in which men of science have deapened our kwowledge (sic) of the structure of matter. It is, they say, composed of condensed energy, which if man so desires, can be applied for the greater benefit of a civilisation based on technical achievemnt bent to the service of humanity.

The Atomium symbolilzes also the strength which comes through union and will help to show that Belgian industry can accept the challenge of difficult tasks calling for daring execution.

My most sincere wish, in conceiving and building the Atomium, is that it will encourage young people to seek careers in the technical field or in scientific research. If this should happen, I am sure the effort expended in getting it finished by the 17th of April 1958, will not have been in vain.

A. Waterkeyn, Managing Director of the "Atomium" Association