In anticipation of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, the area around the iconic structure is getting a makeover.

The model: The city of Paris brought in software firm Autodesk to produced the largest urban model of its kind, using a combination of lidar scanning and aerial photography.

The details: Mapping the specifics of the 2.4-square-kilometer section of the city required thousands of hours of work. All the imaging had to be precise to within a few centimeters.

Why it matters: The rendering will serve as the starting point for four finalist teams that will present their visions for reshaping the area around the tower. The model will let city officials evaluate each proposal in unprecedented detail before any real-world construction begins.