The Eiffel Tower's Iconic Architecture

The Eiffel Tower is among the most recognized structures in the world.  Built to commemorate the Exposition Universelle in 1889, it towers above the rooftops of Paris - most of which are limited by zoning restrictions to seven stories.  Although it was heavily criticized at the time of construction, the tower has become an icon for Paris and all of France.  A marvel of its time, it is a look back to the industrializing world around the beginning of the 20th century.

Poster from Exposition Universelle

Marking the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, considered the beginning of the French Revolution, the Exposition Universelle was a World's Fair meant to exhibit the foremost technological innovations.  A contest was held to design a tower that would span 125 meters across at the base and stand 300 meters tall.  Of 107 entries, it was that of Gustave Eiffel that won.  Eiffel's two chief engineers, Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, designed a lattice-work structure based on wind-resistance, rather than aesthetics.  The trio hired architect Stephen Sauvestre to improve the tower's appearance, and he added the large characteristic arches which we observe today.  Erected in an impressively short 22 months, the tallest building in the world served as an entrance to the fair by the time it opened on May 6th, 1889.

 Above is a picture of the mastermind, Gustave Eiffel, with a picture to the right taken shortly after construction began.  It exemplifies the numerous hands and hours that were used during this project.

The construction is of puddle iron, a high-strength material used by Eiffel previously on bridges he'd built.  The curvature of the four lattices to meet at the top is designed in such a way that the force of winds is evenly distributed throughout the structure, making it extremely sturdy.  In winds the top of the tower moves only 6 cm.  In contrast, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO moves three times as much and is less than two-thirds as tall.  Despite its efficiency of design, the 'skeletal' and utilitarian appearance of the tower was the object of heavy ridicule in the press and within the community.  Painters, sculptors, and architects openly collaborated "to protest ...in the name of French art and history under threat, against the erection in the very heart of our capital, of the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower."  Eiffel countered, "Are we to believe that because one is an engineer, one is not preoccupied by beauty in one's constructions?" and that "the very conditions which give strength also conform to the hidden rules of harmony."  This view eventually won the day, as the tower was a smashing success at the fair, receiving over 2 million visitors during the six-month event.  

An aerial view at night shows just how aesthetically pleasing the tower can be.

Even today the Eiffel Tower may be seen from miles away and is huge tourist attraction yearly.

The elegant and simple design of this monument is truly a thing of beauty.  The absence of over-indulgent decor, embellished sculpture, or even finish work to cover the girders is in stark contrast to the surrounding Parisian architecture.  It can be argued that the tower was an arbiter of a new age, a metaphor of the slow and inevitable tide of technology washing away the traditionalist practices of an earlier time.  It is this simplicity that draws the eye to the tower, standing as a silent and immovable tribute to the industrial revolution.