The Eiffel Tower, a symbol of Paris, has a complicated history. At first it was categorically not accepted, then they got used to it, and now it is impossible to imagine the capital of France without this amazing structure.
Location
The famous symbol of Paris, giving the city a familiar look around the world, is located on the Field of Mars, the former military parade ground, which has been turned into a beautiful park. It is divided into alleys decorated with small ponds and flower beds. Opposite the tower is the Jensky bridge. An elegant openwork design is visible from many points in Paris, although Eiffel did not initially plan this. The tower had to fulfill one function - to become an unusual entrance to the World Exhibition.
Project Approval and Design Assignment
The history of the Eiffel Tower began at the end of the 19th century. In 1889, the World Exhibition was to be held in the capital of France. This event was of great importance for the country. It was dedicated to the centenary of the capture of the Bastille and was to last for 6 months.
One of the objectives of the exhibition is to demonstrate technical innovations, so the creators of the pavilions competed, whose project will most likely reflect the future. The entrance to the exhibition was to serve as an arch. The architects were given the task of preparing a construction project that will demonstrate the technical power of the country and the achievements of engineering.
The proposal for participation in the competition from the Paris administration came to all engineering and design offices of the city, including Gustave Eiffel. He did not have any ready-made solutions, and he decided to look for something suitable in the projects that were postponed. There he found a sketch of the tower, created by Maurice Keshlen, his employee. With the help of Emil Nugier, the construction project was finalized and submitted to the competition by the Eiffel. A prudent engineer first received a patent for it together with the creators of the project, and then bought it from Keshen and Nugier. Thus, the exclusive ownership of the drawings of the tower passed to Gustave Eiffel.
Many interesting and controversial projects were proposed for the contest, and the history of the Eiffel Tower could never begin. The engineer made changes to the design to give it more decorativeness, and the commission selected it from the four remaining applicants at the end of the competition.
The Eiffel Tower - the year the construction began and the construction stages
The construction of the giant structure began on January 28, 1887. It lasted for two years, two months and five days. At that time it was an unprecedented speed. Everything was explained by the highest accuracy of the drawings, in which the size of more than 18 thousand structural parts was meticulously accurately indicated. In addition, in order to maximize the pace of work, Eiffel used prefabricated parts of the tower. Two and a half million rivets were used to connect all the structural parts. Rivet holes were already drilled in the parts prepared in advance, and most of them were installed, which greatly accelerated assembly.
The Eiffel provided that not one of the beams and other parts of the structure prepared in advance weigh more than 3 tons - it was easier to lift them with cranes. When the height of the tower outgrew the size of the lifting devices, mobile cranes designed specifically for this purpose by the architect, which moved along rails created for future elevators, came to the rescue.
The most difficult thing for Gustave Eiffel was not the work at the very top, at a 300-meter height, but the construction of the first platform of the tower. Sand-filled metal cylinders supported the weight of four inclined supports. Gradually releasing sand, they could be installed in the correct position. When this was done, the first platform was installed strictly horizontally.
The cost of the construction of the tower amounted to almost 8 million francs. Construction costs were recouped during the exhibition (6 months).
Weight and size of the structure
How many meters was the Eiffel Tower tall at first? It was 300 meters and was much more striking in its size of the Statue of Liberty (93 meters with a granite pedestal).
And how many meters high does the Eiffel Tower have now? After installing the new antenna, it became 24 meters higher. The total weight of the tower is 10 thousand tons. With each painting, the weight of the building increases by another 60 tons.
The fate of the tower after the exhibition and the attitude of Parisians to it
According to the contract concluded with the Eiffel, the tower should have been dismantled 20 years after the construction. Its success was deafening - during the exhibition, more than two million people wanted to see the ingenious structure, which had no equal in the world. Over the year, it was possible to recoup most of the construction costs. But the admiration of visitors to the exhibition was not shared by the creative intelligentsia of Paris. The Eiffel Tower (France did not know a more controversial opinion about any other building) caused outrage and irritation among artists and writers. They considered it ugly, similar to a factory pipe, and feared that it would violate the unique appearance of Paris, which took shape over centuries.
The history of the Eiffel Tower could end with its dismantling, if not for the era of radio that had come. Radio antennas were installed on the building, and the building acquired significant strategic value. There was no talk of demolishing the tower now. In 1906, a radio station was placed in the Eiffel Tower, and in 1957 a television antenna appeared on its top.
Description of the Eiffel Tower and the reasons for its design features
The lower floor of the structure is a pyramid. It is formed by four inclined supports. They rest the first square (65 meters across) platform of the tower. The supports are connected by arched openwork arches. Above the four pillars lies the second platform. The next four columns of the tower begin to intertwine and join into a huge column. On it is the third platform. Above it are a lighthouse and a small platform a little more than a meter across.
On the first platform, as planned by the architect, the restaurant was located. On the second there was another restaurant and containers with machine oil for servicing elevators. The third site was given to the laboratory (astronomical and meteorological).
For the unusual shape of the tower, the Eiffel was once criticized. In fact, a brilliant engineer and architect knew perfectly well that for such a high structure, the main danger is a strong wind. The design and shape of the tower are designed to withstand large wind loads.
Eiffel Tower: interesting about the famous symbol of Paris
Adolf Hitler during the occupation of France by German troops visited Paris and expressed a desire to climb the Eiffel Tower. But right before his arrival, the elevator drive was seriously damaged, and it was not possible to repair it under military conditions. The German leader was never able to climb the tower. After the liberation of the capital of France, the elevator earned a few hours.
The architect of the Eiffel Tower was very concerned about security issues, since the work was carried out at a very high altitude. In the entire history of construction, not one of the workers died - this is a real achievement for those years.
Unpleasant events are also associated with the Eiffel Tower - in 2009 it was awarded the third place in popularity among suicides.
In order to repaint the tower, it will take a year and a half of work and 60 tons of paint.
A tower consumes as much electricity per day as a small village of one hundred houses.
The famous symbol of Paris has its own patented color - “brown eiffel”. It is as close as possible to the real bronze hue of the structures of the structure.
In the world there are more than 300 copies of the famous tower. Several of them are located in Russia: in Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Voronezh and Irkutsk.
Eiffel tower in culture
The famous building has repeatedly become an object of interest for artists, poets, writers and directors.
The history of the Eiffel Tower is recorded in documentary sources, and its possible future has been repeatedly shown in apocalyptic tapes. One of the most interesting films is the documentary “Future of the Planet: Life After People”. It shows that without maintenance the Eiffel Tower will not be able to withstand its main enemies: rust and wind for a long time. After about 150-300 years, its upper part at the level of the third platform will collapse and fall.
But most often the Eiffel Tower can be seen on the canvases of artists. Jean Berault, known for his genre works depicting the daily life of Paris, created the painting “Near the Eiffel Tower”, on which the Parisian is surprised to see the huge building. A lot of work devoted to the creation of the Eiffel Marc Chagall.
Conclusion
One of the most recognizable buildings in the world is the Eiffel Tower. France is justly proud of this amazing symbol of Paris. The view from the top of the tower to the city is magnificent.
You can admire it any day - the ingenious creation of Gustave Eiffel is open to visitors on weekends.