History

The Eiffel (y'-useful) Tower, an immense structure of exposed iron mesh supports the pond, was built for the Paris Exhibition of 1889. The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII of England) chaired the opening ceremony. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, has been elected unanimously the creation of a radical of the French structural engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (b. December 15, 1832, died on December 28, 1923), designed by participants engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre.

However, the controversial tower elicited strong reactions, and a petition of 300 names - including those of Guy de Maupassant, Emile Zola, Charles Garnier (architect of the Opera) and his son Alexandre Dumas - was presented to the city government to protest construction. The petition says: "We, writers, painters, sculptors, architects and lovers of the beauty of Paris, protested all our strength and all our indignation, in the name of French taste and endangered French art and history fighting against the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower.

Nature lovers thought that it would interfere with the flight of birds in Paris. But the Eiffel Tower was admired by Rousseau, Utrillo, Chagall, Delaunay y. It was nearly demolished in 1909, after the expiration of its lease for 20 years, but was saved because of its antenna - used for telegraphy at that time. Since 1910, he became part of the International Time Service. French radio (since 1918) and French television (since 1957) have also made use of his height. In the 1960s, has been a wonderful semiotic study of Roland Barthes.


Eiffel Tower
under construction

Construction of the Eiffel Tower, April 1888

April 1888

Construction of the Eiffel Tower in July 1888

July 1888

Construction of the Eiffel Tower, December 1888

December 1888

Eiffel Tower completed May 1889

finished
May 1889


Built to celebrate science and engineering of his time, rising 300 / 984 meters (320.75m / 1052 feet including the antenna) and weighing 7,000 tons, the structure consists of two visibly distinct parts: a base consisting on a platform that rests on four separate supports (called pylons or gates) and, above all, a slender tower created as the cone tilts upward, rising above a second platform to merge in a single column.

This unprecedented work, the tallest structure in the world until the Empire State Building was built about 40 years later, had several antecedents. Among them, the railway viaduct with the iron designed by Eiffel, an arch bridge over the Douro River in Portugal, with a length of 160 m (525 ft) and a circular design for a tower of iron framework proposed by American engineers Clark and Reeves for the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Eiffel knew and publicly acknowledged this influence, which was not alien to the United States, having designed the wrought-iron tower on the inside of Frederic Bartholdi Statue of Liberty in 1885. Later that same year he also began work on the cupola of the Nice Observatory.

Eiffel is the leading European authority on the aerodynamics of senior executives (who wrote "The resistance of the air" in 1913). In the construction of the Eiffel Tower, the base curve of the tower has been precisely calculated for the bending and wind shear gradually becomes a compression forces that can more effectively support the crooked. Such was Eiffel's engineering magic that even the strongest winds his tower never fluctuates more than 4-1/2 inches. The superskyscrapers erected since 1960, including the World Trade Center, were built in much the same way.

However, its birth was difficult, the Eiffel Tower is completely accepted by French citizens, and is recognized internationally as a symbol of Paris itself.
Facilities & Directions

In the basement of the eastern and western pillars, you can visit the giant machinery that 1899 powers the elevators, an astonishing spectacle reminiscent of a Jules Verne novel. Tower of three platforms - especially the highest of - the view of Paris is excellent. It is generally accepted that an hour before sunset, the panorama is at its best, remember to bring your camera and experiment with the f-stop settings to capture a dazzling sunset on the Seine. If you can not be there in person, then take an aerial view of Paris Live online webcam TF1: from the top of the Eiffel Tower, you can see Paris in real time, 24 hours a day, whatever time in French capital. To get the most out of this view of Paris, we recommend searching their web site between 7:00 and 9:00 pm GMT (1:00 am and 3:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time), where the City of Light is at its best.

The Eiffel Tower (print)
Eiffel Tower
by Susan Gillette
14 "x 18" art print
BUY THIS PRINT


First level: 57.63 meters (189 feet). Observatory to study the movements of the top of the Eiffel Tower. Kiosk presentation about the mythic painting of the Eiffel Tower. CINEIFFEL Area: offers an exceptional view of the tower sites. Souvenir shops (yes, every tourist should have a replica in miniature). The restaurant "Altitude 95" (tel. 01-45-55-20-04). Post Office, with the special stamp "Paris Tour Eiffel." Panoramic gallery displaying the Monuments of Paris.

Second level: 115.73 meters (379 feet, 8 inches). Panorama of Paris. Telescopes, shops. animation shows the operation of elevators. Jules Verne Restaurant (extremely expensive, reservations absolutely necessary; phone 01-45-55-61-44).

Third level: 276.13 meters (905 feet, 11 inches). Panoramic views, day and night, of Paris and its surroundings. Recently restored office, with wax replicas of Gustave Eiffel and Thomas Edison in conversation (see the picture. Panoramic guide shows Guidance. Dioramas presenting the history of this platform.

Probably the best approach to the tower is to take the metro to the Trocadero and walk to the Palais de Chaillot to the Seine. Besides a beautiful view, especially when the sources are in full force Trocadero, get a free show of dancers and acrobats who perform around the Palais of Chaillot. The vast green esplanade beneath the tower is the Parc du Champs de Mars, which runs until the end of the 18th century, the Ecole Militaire (Military Academy), in the extreme southeast. This formal garden was once a parade ground for French troops.

The Eiffel Tower at night is one of the attractions of Paris and not to be missed. The gold lighting highlights the delicacy of the steel in a way that is not respected in the light of day. Skip the tour bus and pickpockets in the head of the Trocadero and the Military Academy for a more tranquil.