Once the tallest structure in the world, the Eiffel
Tower is probably Europe's best known landmark and Paris's most famous
symbol.
1889 World Exhibition
The Eiffel Tower was built for the World Exhibition
in 1889, held in celebration of the French Revolution
in 1789.
The construction was only meant to last for the duration of the Exposition, but it still stands today, despite all protests from contemporary artists who feared the construction would be the advent of structures without 'individuality' and despite the many people who feared that this huge 'object' would not fit into the architecture of Paris.
The construction was only meant to last for the duration of the Exposition, but it still stands today, despite all protests from contemporary artists who feared the construction would be the advent of structures without 'individuality' and despite the many people who feared that this huge 'object' would not fit into the architecture of Paris.
Gustave Eiffel
The man behind the Eiffel Tower was Gustave Eiffel, known from his revolutionary
bridge building techniques, as employed in the great viaduct at Garabit
in 1884. These techniques would form the basis for the construction of the Eiffel
Tower. He was also known for the construction of the Statue
of Liberty's iron framework.
The structure took more than two years to complete. Each one of the about 12,000 iron pieces were designed
separately to give them exactly the shape needed. All
pieces were prefabricated and fit together using approx.
7 million nails.
The Tallest
Inaugurated March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower would be the tallest structure in
the world until the completion of the Chrysler
Building in 1930.
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