Paris owes a lot to Gustave Eiffel, the mastermind behind the Eiffel Tower! He risked everything, his personal and professional reputation, and his financial welfare to build La Dame Eiffel!
What is now the most beloved and globally recognizable symbol of Paris and France almost never saw the light of day. It was the outright diligence, tremendous engineering design and entrepreneurial brilliance of Gustave Eiffel that enabled the Eiffel tower to be erected.
The tower was designed and built for the World Fair of 1889. Gustave wanted his iron lattice tower to prove that metal could be stronger than concrete and to highlight the feats of French engineering!
It was certainly an engineering challenge for several reasons due to the height, the weight and the foundational structure needed to support the tower to keep it from collapsing.
Gustave Eiffel had already established a very successful metal works company that was engaged in building railway stations, bridges, and canals.
It should be noted that it was Eiffel’s company that built the internal structure of the Statue of Liberty which was presented to the United States as a gift from France.
The creation on paper of the tower came about through the imagination of two engineers working under Eiffel in 1884, Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier. it would be 300 meters high and with five platforms.
Actually, it was an architect, Stephane Sauvestre, that brought the design project to completion by redesigning some elements of the initial blueprints and adding some ornamental elements.
The completed design was reduced to have only three platforms and was mathematically calculated for the tower to have the utmost resistance to wind, a major concern and of course being able to support its own weight.
The city of Paris awarded Eiffel only approximately 1/4 of the cost of building the tower, with the remaining up to Eiffel’s company. In compensation, Eiffel would receive for 20 years all revenue that the tower would bring in.
After 20 years, the city of Paris would assume ownership, including tearing it down if need be. Heaven forbid!
Finding a place to erect the tower was the next step that proved to be a difficult task. Most agreed that the square of Champs de Mars would be the most appropriate to welcome visitors to the World Fair in 1889.
Initial plans had the tower to be constructed closer to the Seine that its actual placement, but due to the composition of the ground near the water-bed, it was moved back somewhat.
It took 26 months of construction in totality. Five months to lay the foundations and 21 months to finish the tower, which given that the state of construction did not have modern methods we have today, looks record breaking.
Here is a good video composition of the construction:
The giant four arched legs each needed their own foundations, calculated to support 3 to 4 kilograms per centimetre. The back two away from the Seine posed little problems in laying them.
The front two, closer to the banks of Seine had to be inserted using metal cases filled with compressed air to allow workers to work under the water level. Those foundations were made up of more rocks, gravel and concrete that the back two.
The majority of the parts were all constructed in Eiffel’s metal workshop in Levallois Perret and carted over where they were pieced together like a giant Erector set.
Once hauled up they were riveted together using four workers, working in tandem. One held the pieces together. The second heated up each rivet in portable fire pots.
The third inserted the rivets and the fourth worker used a sledgehammer to pound them into place. When the rivets cooled the pounded flattened head contracted to ensure a tight fit.
Workers safety was a priority for Eiffel who regulated that protecting edges were built under workers to prevent fatal falls and all tools were attached to workers with cords.
Eiffel outlawed drinking and fighting while working on the tower, but not at the site for meals, nor pauses. Strangely, beer and wine were not sold to the workers, but rum and eau de vie, with much higher alcohol levels, were available at meals and during pauses to “warm workers up”.
Meals were prepared for the workers on the platform so they did not waste time needed to descend and ascend at mealtime. Work shifts varied from 13 to 9 hours a day depending on the season.
Incredibly, there were not any deaths of workers on the job, except for a young man who had finished his shift and fell off while showing off.
Even though the tower was to be temporary, many could not stomach the idea of such a “horrible” structure on the Paris skyline.
Eiffel’s tower construction suddenly became the number one enemy of the city of Paris. A vast majority of the city’s luminaries in art and literature attacked Eiffel saying his tower was useless and monstrous.
Others said if erected it would make Paris irreparably ugly and bring dishonour upon the whole country. Some compared it to a hideous smokestack.
If I were one of the residents of the surrounding neighbourhood at that time, I would have been worried about the risk of the tower toppling down!
In order to sell and to silence fears around collapse, Eiffel had to convince authorities about the tower’s wind resistance. He also said that the tower would be used for scientific reasons.
He set a meteorological station above the 3rd floor and the tower later became instrumental in sending the first telegraphs and radio signals during the WWI. These scientific purposes of the tower are actually credited with making sure it wasn’t torn down as planned 20 years later.
Monsieur Eiffel built a small apartment on the third level for his personal use, which I had the privilege of visiting. It is still there but now closed to the public.
To keep the tower is good shape, she must be painted with 60 tonnes of paint every seven years. This includes striping and applying anti-rust and several coats of the paint by hand, no paint guns allowed!
To illuminate the tower, 20,000 light bulbs were installed. Every hour, on the hour, the tower lights sparkle for 5 minutes, making it an impressive display against the dark sky.
There is a double beacon on the top of the third platform that swirls two beacons of light 360 degrees reaching out to 80 kilometres.
A transparent wall has been installed on the first platform to ensure increased protection from the tower being attacked from the ground and to reduce suicides.
The tower does very gently sway in high winds and does expand and contract upon exposure to weather and sunlight. The views are just absolutely magnificent. I do have some slight vertigo even up on the second level.
The famous Jules Verne restaurant is on the second level for those wanting to dine in spectacular views. In the winter, there has been an ice skating rink installed too.
Though I rarely go up the tower, I must admit that every time I pass by it, I am caught breathless with its beauty!
I often enjoy going to the Trocadero terraces across the Seine to get the best views.
The most romantic place to see it is on the carved out half moon promontories on Pont de Bir Hakeim stealing kisses. Walking along the quais nearby is also a pleasant way to take in the views night or day.
At night lying in my bed, the light of the beacon can be seen briefly illuminating the night sky about every minute, which I find meditative.
Vive La Dame Eiffel in all of its majestic splendour!
Cherry, thanks for sharing this , I found this to be a very interesting read.
Imagine what he could have built today with modern technology.
The Home Depot sells a 7ft. Eiffel Tower at Christmas time as yard decorating with lights.
I’m not sure of the Christmas connection , but it sells very well.
Hugs to you 🙂
Thank you Isahm for your comment, always appreciated. I too found it totally amazing that the tower was built so well and in recond breathing time without modern construction tools and methods. It is a real masterpiece of engineering and architectural knowledge! Hugs