Brussels Airlines introduces the Atomium as next Belgian Icon
Thomas Faes' design was selected as the new Belgian Icon for Brussels Airlines
Brussels Airlines has officially announced its newest Belgian Icon: The next special livery to join the world-famous series will be dedicated to the Atomium, an iconic landmark in Brussels. It was selected out of more than 900 submissions. The winner of the design contest is Thomas Faes, a Belgian architect who wanted to honour the emblem of Belgian architecture. The Atomium was built in 1958 to represent the best of Belgium to the world, which closely aligns with the airline’s ambitions, the press release said.
The design dedicated to the Atomium, was submitted by Thomas Faes, age 44. Faes is an architect living in Orp-Jauche, Brabant-Wallon, Belgium.
“A few hours before the project submission deadline, I decided to completely rework my proposal. I wanted the design to be truly universal. For me, the Atomium is the symbol representing Belgium. I have childhood memories of it, when on a school trip, I found myself in awe at the foot of this iconic monument. The brightness and mirror effect of the spheres allow everyone to see something different in it. As an architect, I tried to translate 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,” said Faes.
Brussels Airlines launched its quest for the next Belgian Icon in August, with an open contest and more than 900 designs were submitted for consideration. An internal jury selected 15 designs and opened a public vote. More than 50,000 people voted, and the top five selections were presented to an external jury which included Brussels Airlines CEO Dorothea von Boxberg and Michel Moriaux, Head of Marketing. The jury ultimately chose the winning design.
“It was a very interesting debate, and a tough decision to make. All the designs in the top 5 had great topics that would make great Belgian Icons. The Atomium was built for the World Expo in Belgium in 1958, and has been very popular to Belgians and tourists since. Bringing the best of Belgium to the world is a mission we support at Brussels Airlines. The Atomium is already visible in our uniforms, and our logo with nine dots is a nod to this iconic landmark. Making the Atomium the next Belgian Icon therefore feels like an excellent choice,” said von Boxberg.
Brussels Airlines will now work with Faes to transform his design into a technical drawing that can be painted on an aircraft, and to create a design for the interior of the plane. The result will be presented to the public in Spring 2025.
