The Eiffel Tower, otherwise known as the Tour de Eiffel, is one of the most easily recognizable buildings in Paris and the most visited tourist attraction. The history of the building, named after its creator Alexander Gustave Eiffel, is interesting for many reasons, including the fact that the building was not originally considered a permanent architectural component of the city. Now the Iron Lady is serene on the Champ de Mars, located on the south bank of the River Seine, and no one disputes its beauty. Parisians love their “elegant lady” and believe that the Eiffel Tower is a visiting card of France, but this was not always the case.
Competition
In 1889, an international exhibition of technological progress was to be held in Paris, dedicated to the centenary of the French Revolution. Place of demonstration was chosen Field of Mars. Three years before the start of the exhibition, the organization committee announced a competition for the best building, which could visually display the theme of the exposition. There were 700 applications, and some were rather eccentric. Since the exhibition was held to commemorate the centenary of the revolution, one of the proposed designs was a giant copy of the guillotine. Another project is a monumental structure with nozzles in the form of nozzles that allow you to shoot with water jets and water the surroundings of Paris in case of drought. Perhaps the most eccentric was the proposal to create a 300-meter granite lighthouse with a backlight in the upper part, which would shine so brightly that Parisians could read newspapers at night. Fortunately, all of these projects were rejected, and of the one hundred best offers, the creation of Gustave Eiffel was unanimously named the winner of the competition.
How did the project come about?
It is interesting that the famous engineer and bridge builder was not going to participate in the competition, and the initial design of the tower was created back in 1884 by the leading architect of his company, Maurice Keshlen. When the Eiffel presented the sketches, he was interested in the engineering solution of the object. The project was finalized by designer Emil Nougier and submitted to participate in the competition. Having considered various options, the commission settled on the work of the Eiffel design firm. By that time, an outstanding engineer had made final changes to the calculations and design of the tower. The intense and laborious construction process began. In gratitude for the work, Gustave Eiffel ordered an engraving with the names of 72 remarkable architects, engineers, scientists and philanthropists who took part in the creation of his iron masterpiece. Their names still adorn the tower on four sides.
First reviews
From 1887 to 1889, the Eiffel Tower was built in Paris. The height in the spire was at that time 300.65 meters. The entire structure weighing seven thousand tons served as the entrance arch of the International Exhibition in Paris and twenty years after completion of construction was subject to dismantling. The opening of the tower was attended by the Prince of Wales, and later by King Edward VII of England . His Majesty, as a man of wide views and a fan of neo-impressionism, was delighted with the structure. "Iron Lady" was a stunning success among visitors to the exhibition: in six months, two million people managed to admire it. However, by no means all welcomed the innovative design made of iron. The three-hundred-meter-high height of the Eiffel Tower in the spire and the material from which it was made provoked the indignation of many Parisians. A petition to the municipal authorities with indignation over the construction of a monstrous object, mutilating the face of the city, was signed by three hundred respected citizens of France. Among them were: Guy de Maupassant, Emil Zola, Charles Francois Gounod (founder of the French lyric opera genre) and Dumas Jr.
What is the height of the Eiffel Tower in the spire?
The tower consists of three levels, equipped with viewing platforms. The first is 57 meters above the ground, the second is 115, and the third is 274 meters. To enjoy a beautiful bird's eye view of Paris and its environs, 1710 steps had to be overcome. After all, the height of the Eiffel Tower in the spire was about 300 meters, and the elevator at an average level appeared later. However, such difficulties did not stop those wishing to visit the miracle of engineering. The popularity of the tower made the city authorities refuse to dismantle it. Since the end of construction, the Iron Lady has remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for 41 years. The Chrysler Building, built in 1930, supplanted it until 1957. At this time, an antenna was attached to the tower, and the structure again rose above the skyscraper. Today, the height of the Eiffel Tower in the spire is 324 meters. Such changes in the parameters occurred after the installation of a new antenna on its top in 2010. Eiffel’s creation is the second tallest in France after the Millau Viaduct, also recognized as the tallest bridge in the world.
Fact of sale
The Eiffel Tower has repeatedly become the object of various scams, but Victor Lustig turned out to be the most enterprising fraudster : he managed to sell the building twice in 1925. This man skillfully forged government documents on the demolition of the building, as it had become unusable, and its sale for scrap. Having called himself deputy head of the Ministry of Post and Telegraph, he sent out invitations to participate in the tender to entrepreneurs involved in scrap metal. The three-hundred-meter height of the Eiffel Tower in the spire was a tidbit, so many people were interested in the opportunity to earn on it. The choice fell on André Poisson, who so wanted to get the tower that he even gave the fraudster a bribe in order to get rid of his competitors. When the unlucky businessman realized that he had been deceived, the swindler with a full suitcase of money had already managed to disappear. Poisson was too embarrassed to go to the police. Encouraged by the success, the fraudster tried to implement the same scam in a month. But, when the deceived buyer revealed his plan and informed the police, Victor fled to the United States, where he ended up in other illegal actions and appeared in court.
An occupation
During the Second World War, fascist soldiers tried to secure a huge swastika on top of the highest building in France. But they incorrectly calculated what the height of the Eiffel Tower was, and did not take into account the strength of the gusts of wind at its top. Therefore, the symbol ripped off by a powerful air stream had to be replaced by another, which was much smaller. Adolf Hitler tried to destroy the Eiffel Tower in 1944. The dictator ordered the military governor of Paris, Dietrich von Holtitz, to demolish the tower and other architectural masterpieces of the city, but the general refused.
Our days
Like a true Frenchwoman, the “Eiffel Lady” has repeatedly changed its color. Now every seven years the beauty’s appearance is supported by 57 tons of brown paint, which repeats the natural shades of bronze as much as possible. Since 2003, the Iron Lady has put on a sparkling outfit of twenty thousand custom-made light bulbs. The company that was involved in this lighting decoration patented it, so you can’t shoot the Eiffel Tower during a night light show without special permission.
Curiosities
The giant beauty is constantly attracting the attention of testers, suicides or just eccentrics. So, for example, a woman tried to take her own life by jumping from the Eiffel Tower, but landed on a car standing below, and later married the owner of this car. In 2007, an American named Erica Labri married the Eiffel Tower and changed her surname from Labri to Eiffel. This curious case has become the subject of discussion in the news and social networks.
Be that as it may, the Eiffel Tower has for many years been the undoubted symbol and decoration of the French capital.