Plan to cover Eiffel Tower in plants
A remarkable plan has been revealed by Le Figaro newspaper which could see Paris' most famous landmark covered in plants.
Starting as early as June 2012, the plan would be to cover the outside of the tower's structure with 600,000 plants which would then be able to grow for a period of four years.
The plants would add a total of 378 tonnes to the 327-metre tall structure.
As well as being a striking horticultural vision in the heart of the capital, the project has an ecological ambition with Le Figaro saying the carbon-neutral plan would make the tower "the lungs of Paris."
The €72 million ($96 million) plan is a joint initiative by the engineering group Ginger, construction company Vinci and the architect Claude Bucher.
Work has been going on for two years and a scaled-down prototype of the famous tower has been built in the capital's suburbs to test out the idea.
A timetable for the greening of the tower has been established. Plants would be grown at a separate location until June 2012. They would then be attached to the tower in bags, allowing them to continue growing.
Watering the plants would take place via a system of tubes running around the tower. The plants would be left to grow until being finally removed in 2016.
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