Eiffel Tower | History, Height, Facts & Architecture

History of Eiffel Tower

The iconic Eiffel Tower involves no introduction; it is the epitome of Paris. Initially a source of contention, the tower is now one of Paris’ most famous sights. Discover everything you need to know about this Parisian landmark.

• The concept of a tower made of metal pylons with a square base was developed in 1884.
• Gustav Eiffel submitted his design to the Societies des Ingénieurs Civils for approval in 1885.
• The committee for the Exposition Universelle, which was to be held in 1889 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, approved it in 1886.
• 1886: Artists protest that a metallic tower will be an unsightly metallic monument that will detract from Paris’ aesthetics. Their protest, however, lacked fuel.
• 1887: Construction began in late January.
• The first level is completed in 1888.
• Construction was completed on March 15, 1889.

Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, engineers at Gustav Eiffel’s engineering firm, first designed it. Eiffel was initially dissatisfied with the design, but after chief architect Stephen Sauvestre added ornamental embellishments, he approved the final version. The plan was to build a 300-meter-tall tower out of iron lattice with a square base. It was an ambitious project because nothing that tall had ever been built before.

Completed to the Exposition Universelle committee, which wanted to create a French architectural masterpiece to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Among 100 other designs, they unanimously chose this one. After 20 years, the tower was to be demolished.

Regardless of their selection, a few artists were sceptical that a metal tower in the midst of other architectural marvels would be both aesthetic and stable. A 300-meter-tall structure was unheard of. Although there was some opposition to its construction, it was not halted.

                                        Height:

• The Eiffel Tower is known in France as La Tour Eiffel or la dame de fir, which translates as “the iron lady.” The iron lattice tower stands 984 feet tall (1,063 feet if you include the broadcast antennas at the top).
• When completed, it surpassed the Washington Monument as the world’s tallest man-made structure. It held that title until 1930, when the Chrysler Building in New York City was built.
• The Eiffel Tower is still the tallest structure in Paris. It is also the world’s most visited paid monument. According to experts, over 200 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower since it opened!
• The Eiffel Tower has three levels that visitors can ascend. The lower two levels are accessible by stair or elevator and both have restaurants. The top level is only accessible by elevator.
• Hundreds of workers used over 2 million rivets to join together more than 18,000 pieces of iron to construct the Eiffel Tower. Although the open-frame design of the tower made construction dangerous, Eiffel insisted on safety precautions, and only one worker died during construction.
• Believe it or not, the Eiffel Tower was not an instant success among Parisians. Many people thought it was an eyesore and wanted it demolished.
• The tower was originally intended to be temporary because it was built for the 1889 World’s Fair. After 20 years, the City of Paris intended to demolish the tower. However, because it proved useful as a radio communications tower, it was allowed to remain.
• Of course, the Eiffel Tower is now regarded as an architectural masterpiece, inspiring more than 30 similar towers around the world. It is more than just a tourist attraction; it is also a valuable communications tool, as it transmits both radio and television broadcast signals.

3 Fascinating Eiffel Tower Facts:

Creation Of Eiffel Tower Design 1884

• Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, engineers at Gustav Eiffel’s engineering firm, first designed it. Eiffel was initially dissatisfied with the design, but after chief architect Stephen Sauvestre added ornamental embellishments, he approved the final version. The plan was to build a 300-meter-tall tower out of iron lattice with a square base. It was an ambitious project because nothing that tall had ever been built before.

Proposal Submitted 1886

• Submitted to the Exposition Universelle committee, which wanted to create a French architectural masterpiece to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Among 100 other designs, they unanimously chose this one. After 20 years, the tower was to be demolished.
• Regardless of their selection, a few artists were sceptical that a metal tower in the midst of other architectural marvels would be both aesthetic and stable. A 300-meter-tall structure was unheard of. Although there was some opposition to its construction, it was not halted.

Construction of the Tower 1887

• On January 28, construction began. The concrete foundation was built first. The metal lattice work was completed and riveted together. Each component was handcrafted with great care and attention to detail. This was then transported to the site and assembled there. The four base structures were to be built on concrete slabs. In the following months, the foundation was laid, and the first level took a year to complete. The arches and the top of the tower were completed by the time it was dedicated in early 1889.

                                       Architecture:

• Gustave Eiffel discovered after winning the contract to build the tower that the Exposition Committee would only contribute about 25% of the funds required to complete it. They wanted Eiffel to pay the balance, which he agreed to do in exchange for complete control over the tower and its profits for the next twenty years. The committee agreed, the tower paid for itself in the first year, and Gustave Eiffel profited handsomely.
• On January 28, 1887, work on the foundations began. The open-lattice iron structure was made up of four massive arched legs supported by masonry piers and curving inward until they met in a single, tapered tower. Each leg is supported by four concrete slabs (each 6 m thick), which required foundations as deep as 22 m (72 feet). The tower’s iron base was held together by bolts 10 centimetres (4 inches) in diameter and 7.5 metres (25 feet) in length. The tower was constructed with 18,000 pieces joined by 2.5 million thermally assembled rivets. Every piece was custom-made for the project and produced in Eiffel’s factory in Paris.
• The elevator system was a key feature of the Eiffel Tower. Because no French company could meet the technical specifications, Eiffel chose Otis Elevator Company in the United States to build the glass-cage machines, which helped establish the tower as one of Europe’s major tourist attractions.
• It opened to the public on May 15, 1889, and had received 1,896,987 visitors by the end of the Exposition on October 31, 1889, including the British Prince of Wales, inventor Thomas Edison, actress Sarah Bernhardt, and cowboy Buffalo Bill Cody. More than 250 million tourists have visited the tower since then.

 

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