LA CHEVROLIERE, France: Two friends in western France have built a 16-metre (52 ft) high replica of the Eiffel Tower from recycled wood, which they hope to display along the path of the Summer 2024 Olympic torch relay and on Olympic sites.

Frederic Malmezac, a 38-year-old carpenter, paired up with 46-year-old Sylvain Bouchard to build the model, using wood that would otherwise have been thrown away.

"The project was to build a wooden Eiffel Tower replica using as much recycled material as possible ... to show that with material due to be thrown away, we can build great things," Malmezac said.

The pair used about 825 pieces of wood, Malmezac said, starting their project in September 2023. They are hoping to soon get authorisation to display their mini-Eiffel Tower near Olympic sites.

French carpenter Frederic Malmezac and Sylvain Bouchard, a sports enthusiast with disability, work on a 16-meter replica of the Eiffel Tower built from recycled wood. - REUTERS

A man stands in front of a 16-meter replica of the Eiffel Tower from recycled wood built by French carpenter Frederic Malmezac and Sylvain Bouchard, France. - REUTERS