Eifel Tower

While people visit France for a number of reasons, one of the main sites in the spotlight is the Eiffel Tower. Now more than 115 years old, the Eiffel Tower has long stood as a symbol of this magnificent country and love. Construction for the Eiffel Tower began in 1887 for the Universal Exposition in the celebration of the French Revolution. The contractor, Gustave Eiffel & Cie completed the tower in 1889 and history was made. During the construction phase, it took 50 engineers and designers to create 5,300 blueprints, 100 ironworkers to create 18,038 separate parts for assembly, and 121 men to work the site.

In the first year of being open, more than two million people came from around the world to marvel in this incredible site. Since that time, six million people have come each year with a total history of more than 200 million visitors. Of these, every type of person imaginable has made his or her way to the top of the Eiffel Tower to include philosophers, scientists, aristocrats, royalty, and even celebrities. In fact, just this year, Tom Cruise proposed to Katy Holmes at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

As you make your way through the tower, you will notice that the panels are all numbered and found on various levels of the staircases. Part of the fun of climbing the tower is finding these small, hidden treasures. While many things are known about this famous tower, some things are not as well known. For example, did you know that the Eiffel Tower has changed color six times or that the lighting effects were designed at different times to decorate the tower for one day or for longer periods? Every five years, the tower is repainted with 50 tons of paint and the current lighting design, which helps to illuminate the interior of the tower, has been in existence for an entire decade.

Other fascinating facts about the Eiffel Tower are that various pavilions and work on the first and second floors were added. Then, the galleries’ roofs and shelters are still a place of refuge for people during poor weather conditions. In addition, under these areas, several technical spaces and service quarters are located. Another aspect of the tower that some people do not know is that the skeleton has also evolved. Although some of the changes were minor, they were all made as needed to help reinforce various structural members.

The Eiffel Tower is comprised of two primary elements. First, there is the base of the tower, which is sturdy, consisting of four strong pillars. These pillars have been specially bonded and extended with lighter batter at the smaller level, which is the second floor. Second, the tower, which sits atop the four pillars. The pillars are much more than a base for the tower, they help with swaying experienced during strong winds although heat can also case the tower to sway. Interestingly, when the Eiffel Tower was being built, one of the greatest challenges had to do with erecting and bonding the four pillars on the first floor.

Remember, the Eiffel Tower is made of iron, opposed to steel. Assembled with a limited number of fabricated parts, many modern day engineers still find this design mesmerizing. The amazing thing is that all the metal framework of this tower weighs a staggering 7,300 tons. However, the total weight of the tower is even more astounding at 10,000 tons.

Due to wear and tear, the tower was renovated from 1980 to 1985 whereby 1,343 tons of unneeded materials were removed to help strengthen the tower. During this time, the elevators were added, taking visitors from the second floor all the way to the top where magnificent restaurants were built. Today, you can still make your way up the elevators to enjoy a panoramic view of the city – Paris, the city of love.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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