The construction of the Eiffel Tower started in 1887 and was completed in 1889. The Eiffel Tower was originally built as a temporary entrance to the World’s fair that was used to celebrate 100 years of the French Revolution. 3,000 people worked on the construction of the tower using 18,000 pieces of iron were used to complete the structure.
Gustave Eiffel
The Eiffel Tower was named after the person who designed it, Gustave Eiffel. Eiffel was criticized heavily for the design of the tower for many reasons. Some thought he was trying to create a structure that was too artistic and others believed he was suggesting a design that would not hold up against the wind.
However, Eiffel and his team of experienced bridge builders seemed to be well aware of the fact that wind resistance was of utmost importance. In interviews, he has been reported as saying that wind resistance was the part of the Eiffel tower construction design that he considered to be the most important.
What is it made of?
The Eiffel Tower was constructed with approximately 7,300 tonnes of pig iron and 2,700 tonnes of other components. The way that the Eiffel Tower was constructed was extremely economic; if the metal structure was melted down, it would only fill the 125 square meter base by 6cms. An interesting fact about the Eiffel Tower construction is that the summit of the tower can actually shift by up to 7 inches, due to thermal expansion.
Aesthetic Elements
The Eiffel Tower receives a new paint job every 7 years which protects the pig iron structure from the dangers of rust. To maintain the uniform appearance, three separate colors are used (darkest near the bottom, lightest near the top).
The Eiffel Tower construction had 4 arches added near the base of the structure to re-assure visitors that the Eiffel Tower was a safe structure. These arches added to the Eiffel Tower are also used as decorative structures that frame views of nearby architecture for tourists.