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The Eiffel Tower was once criticized by Parisians but is now a symbol of French pride and the most visited city destination in the world. It was designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who also built the Maria Pia Bridge, Garabit Viaduct, and Statue of Liberty. The tower was completed in 1889 and was the tallest building in the world at the time. Eiffel’s legacy continues as a magnificent Paris landmark.
Standing 1,052 feet (320.57m) tall, the massive iron structure called the Eiffel Tower was once ridiculed by Parisians as an eyesore and an embarrassment to French art and culture. Today it graces the skyline of the French capital, marking Paris on the map as the most visited city destination in the world. It is named after Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, an ingenious engineer whose design of the tower made it a reality and a pride of the French nation.
Born December 15, 1832 in Côte d’Or, France, Eiffel never imagined he was destined to create some of the largest structures in the world that exist generations into the future. After graduating from the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in 1855, he became interested in the construction of metal structures, especially railways and bridges.
Eiffel’s first job was as a project manager supervising the construction of a bridge that spanned the Garonne River in Bordeaux, southern France. His brilliance and diligence caught the attention of his employer, Charles Nepveu, who went on to place him in supervisory positions for many of the firm’s bridge and railway station construction projects. In 1864 he set up on his own as a specialist in the construction of metal structures. His company, Eiffel et Cie., became famous for its innovative but inexpensive designs of iron and metal buildings.
One of Eiffel’s earliest successes was building a 525-foot (160m) long railway bridge called the Maria Pia Bridge in 1877. This transparent iron bridge helped people traveling between the Portuguese cities of Porto and Lisbon avoid a 7.5 mile (12 km) detour. Instead, the bridge extended the rail line by 1,158 feet (353 m) in Lisbon. Built to a height of 197 feet (60m) across the Douro River, this bridge was officiated by the king and queen of Portugal at the time. In 1991 it was replaced by the St. John Bridge.
The engineer became known for his unique use of techniques throughout his buildings and structures. Optimizing his knowledge of mathematics and science, he designed another memorable structure, the Garabit Viaduct, in 1884. This 1,854-foot (565m) long railway bridge is built over the Truyère River in the Cantal region of France. A year later, he began the design of the Statue of Liberty, which was a gift from France to the United States of America as a symbol of international friendship and unity.
Eiffel’s career as a consultant specializing in metal structures reached its peak when his proposal to build the Eiffel Tower was accepted among 700 submitted proposals. Construction of the tower began in 1887. Its careful calculation and placement of 18,038 pieces of iron assembled with nearly three million rivets, is a remarkable engineering feat even to this day. Exact measurements of wind pressures at different heights and against the base piers ensured that the tower could withstand any future wind impact.
Construction was completed two years later on March 31, 1889, just in time for the Centenary Exposition, a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. At the time, the tower was the tallest building in the world, being replaced by New York’s Chrysler Building 41 years later. In its first year alone, the tower received two million visitors. Today, six million people from around the world pay their respects to this impressive iron structure.
Eiffel’s ingenuity in design and architecture earned him the Legion d’Honneur, a great distinction in France at the time. After the construction of the tower, he continued his efforts as a scientist and aerodynamics researcher until his death on December 27, 1923. Although his death was a great loss to the nation, his legacy continues to be a magnificent Paris landmark for years to come.
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