The Eiffel Tower was built by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel for the Universal Exhibition and the commemoration of the centenary of the French Revolution. The Tower was inaugurated on March 31, 1889, and its construction was first accompanied by criticisms and protests from Parisians and French intellectuals, but turns out the metal frame of the famous Tower has become the symbol of Paris and one of “the biggest” tourist attractions, visited by about 6 million visitors each year.
The studies on the project began in 1884 and despite all the obstacles created by Parisians and the public opinion, the Eiffel Tower construction began only in 1887, lasted 26 months and was completed in 1889. The initial idea was to remove the Tower after the Universal Exhibition of 1900, but, thanks to experiments on radio transmissions carried out by the French Government before the fateful date, the Eiffel Tower is still standing today.
A milestone in contemporary architecture, the Eiffel Tower was an early example of wrought-iron construction made in large scale. Belonging to local authorities in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is managed by a private company known as “Sciet© Nouvelle d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel”, responsible for the maintenance of its structure which every 7 years, gets re-painted with 50-60 tons of paint (to protect it from rusting) thanks to workers skilled in acrobatic climbing.
The tower is illuminated by 352 projectors of 1000 watts and every 30 minutes in the evening twinkles with beautiful lights, creating a unique and spectacular show. The twinkling effect of the Eiffel Tower was originally planned to celebrate the year 2000, the Parisians, however, conscious of her beauty, did not want to give up this wonderful effect and, despite the excessive consumption of electricity, the company that manages the Eiffel Tower decided to leave the Eiffel Tower with her glittering dress.
About 7,300 tons of iron was used for the construction of the Eiffel Tower and, at the completion of its work, it stood 1,025 feet high. The current height is now 1,063 feet including the modern TV antenna. The base is composed of four arched pillars, which are united to support the structure, thinning upwards, and interrupted by three platforms, each of which houses an observation deck.
The Eiffel Tower is equipped with stairs and elevators, and on the first floor houses a restaurant, whereas, at the top, offering extensive view of Paris, are placed a weather station, a radio station and a TV repeater. A time back, there was also a studio used by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel.
The tower is equipped with 1665 steps for sporty visitors who do not mind the climb and two transparent elevators ascending to the second floor offering many souvenir shops. For the construction of the Eiffel Tower, three hundred metalworkers assembled 18,038 pieces of forged iron, using half a million bolts.
Depending on the temperature, the height of the Eiffel Tower can vary by several inches due to the expansion of the metal (up to about six inches higher during the summer heat). During windy days the top of the tower is subject to oscillations that reached a record of six inches in 1971.
When the Eiffel Tower was built, there was some resistance from the public, because they thought it would be a bulky and unsightly structure. Today, it is considered one of the most extraordinary examples of architectural art in the world and it is visited and appreciated by more than 6 million visitors each year.