A petition is calling for the reopening of the Fourvière tower.

An opposition city councillor in Lyon has launched a petition to reopen the Fourvière metal tower to the public, which has been closed for more than 70 years, while its current owner considers the project unfeasible.

A "mini Eiffel Tower" closed since 1953

Built in 1894 for the Universal, International, and Colonial Exposition, the 80-meter-high tower atop Fourvière Hill offered visitors an observation platform and a restaurant on its first floor. It closed permanently to the public in 1953, before being acquired by the RTF company, later renamed TDF, which converted it into an audiovisual and telecommunications transmitter.

Édouard Hoffmann, a city councilor from the Cœur Lyonnais group, launched a petition in May demanding a public feasibility study, believing that our heritage deserves to be experienced, not just viewed from afar, and that the tower could become one of the most beautiful urban viewpoints in Europe.

A project deemed unfeasible by its owner

Signed by approximately 250 people, the petition has little chance of success, according to TDF, which considers reopening impossible due to numerous safety issues related to the site's current use as a broadcasting infrastructure. Similar proposals have already emerged in recent years, notably within the framework of the City of Lyon's participatory budget, but have never led to any concrete action.

The tower, owned by a private company, remains visible from all over the city, particularly at night when it is illuminated, without the people of Lyon being able to cross its threshold.