Described as a "mechanical curtain", the resurrected arch will now welcome passengers at Salt Lake City International Airport.

It measures in at 72 feet wide and 36 feet high and was designed by artist Chuck Hoberman.

The arch, inspired by Utah's natural stone arches, now sits on a base reading "Salt Lake City - host of the 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games".

Logos from both Games also feature.

Around 4,000 individual pieces make up the arch, together with 13,000 steel rivets and 96 connected panels.

The aluminium structure is said to resemble "the form and movement of a human iris" and weighs around 14 tonnes.

When the arch was first constructed it was the largest unfolding structure in the world.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said the arch could now be "a lens for us to envision hosting future Winter Games".

The city would prefer to host in 2034 to avoid close proximity to another American Games - the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.

However, 2030 remains a possibility, with the International Olympic Committee opening the door for a possible double award.

"To have the arch permanently placed in an area that will welcome so many people to Salt Lake City is a fitting tribute for such a memorable piece of our history and a reminder of our Olympic spirit," said Mendenhall.

The arch cost $3.79 million (£3.1 million/€3.5 million) to restore.

It was moved to the Olympic Cauldron Park at the south end of Rice-Eccles Stadium after Salt Lake City 2002, but this was never intended as a permanent home.

In 2014, the arch was taken apart and put into storage, but several pieces were then stolen during a raid later in the year.

Another idea had been to place the arch on the hillside in the city's Warm Springs Park.

"The Hoberman Arch is an iconic element that showcases the athletic success of the 2002 medallists and our accomplishment as a community in hosting the Games," said Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games President and chief executive Fraser Bullock. 

"It is also a star that guides us in bringing a future Games back to Utah in 2030 or 2034."