Why have Paris balconies become a big concern ahead of the Olympics?

Paris is readying for the 2024 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, to be held in July and August. For those who can’t get a seat at the stadiums, the next sought-after venues are balconies in the French capital. Massive crowds of people are expected to throng the balconies of buildings along the Seine to enjoy the spectacle of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. But this is becoming a cause for worry. Real estate professionals wonder if the balconies of Parisian buildings are strong enough to support large clusters of people. Overcrowded Parisian balconies big concern Real estate experts in Paris have warned about the danger of people cramming onto balconies around the city to catch a glimpse of the upcoming Olympics. The National Real Estate Federation (FNAIM) has alerted local authorities to the risk of collapses and accidents unless balconies that are often designed for two or three people are checked beforehand for their structural soundness. The issue is set to be particularly pressing for residential blocs that overlook the River Seine, which athletes will sail down during a spectacular opening ceremony being planned by organisers on 26 July. “We need to be absolutely sure that the balconies can take the weight and that handrails are well sealed in to avoid any sort of incident,” the head of FNAIM in the Paris region, Olivier Princivalle, told AFP. Risks of falls in old structures Accidents involving balconies are a rare but sometimes deadly occurrence in France. In May last year, two people were left seriously injured in the southeast of Paris when their fifth-floor balcony gave way. Four people died in the central city of Angers in 2016 when a balcony collapsed during a party. [caption id=“attachment_13723082” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The Paris Olympics from 26 July-11 August, followed by the Paralympics from 28 August-8 September, are set to take place at locations across the City of Light where many buildings are hundreds of years old. File image/Reuters[/caption] The Paris Olympics from 26 July-11 August, followed by the Paralympics from 28 August-8 September, are set to take place at locations across the City of Light where many buildings are hundreds of years old. The law requires owners, social landlords and building managers to ensure that balconies are in good condition. The issue of balcony safety underlines the immense organisational complexity faced by local authorities as they prepare for the first Games in Paris in 100 years. Safety measures The opening ceremony — the first time a summer Olympics will be held outside of a stadium — represents a huge challenge for French police who have been asked to secure a 6.0-kilometre (four-mile) stretch of the river that will be used during the parade. [caption id=“attachment_13723112” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The law requires owners, social landlords and building managers to ensure that balconies are in good condition.. File image/Reuters[/caption] The Paris police department told AFP that checking balconies did not fall under its responsibilities, but it was working with the industry and its partners to address the issue. Under French law, building owners or managers have responsibility for checking their structures, but “something can slip through the cracks,” a French source with knowledge of the preparations told AFP, on condition of anonymity. Warnings about security and transport restrictions during the Games have led many Parisians to plan holidays during the event, sometimes to rent out their homes for high prices to foreign visitors. “Don’t leave this summer, don’t leave! That would be a mistake,” Mayor Anne Hidalgo urged the city’s inhabitants on Sunday as she inaugurated the only new permanent Olympics sports arena to be built in inner Paris. “It’s going to be incredible.” With inputs from AFP