History, Construction, and Controversy Surrounding the Eiffel Tower

History, Construction, and Controversy Surrounding the Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower is one of France’s most notable landmarks and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. It has been visited by roughly 243,376,000 people between its opening in 1889 through the end of 2008 (Official Site, 2008). Recently, it has averaged over 6.5 million visitors annually. In 2007 alone, its visitor total reached an astonishing 6,822,000 individuals (Mills, 2008). The Eiffel Tower stands next to the Seine River in Paris on the Champ de Mars, a large public green-space. To commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution, France held the Universal Exhibition of 1889 in Paris. In preparation for the event, a large design competition began, hosted by the Journal Officiel, to “study the possibility of erecting an iron tower on the Champ-de-Mars” (Official Site, 2008). The design specifications detailed the height of tower, the width of the mandatory square-shaped base, and also stated that it must be one that could be easily demolished. Over 700 proposals were submitted to the journal, but “one was unanimously chosen” (Mills, 2008). It was the work of Gustave Eiffel, a French structural engineer and entrepreneur, from whom the tower eventually got its name. But he alone did not deserve all the credit. Eiffel designed the tower with the help of engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier and architect Stephen Sauvestre. Before the construction of the tower, Gustave Eiffel was already an experienced engineer. Locally, he built several other structures in Paris and other parts of France. However, his work did not stop there. He travelled all across Europe, to countries including Romania, Spain, Hungary, Belgium and Portugal, where evidence of his work can still be seen to this day. Lots of his projects involved “constructing high level railway viaducts” (Link Paris, 2009). In addition, Eiffel expanded his sphere of influence even further by

References: Corrosion Doctors. Eiffel Tower History. Retrieved on April 26, 2009 from: http://corrosion-doctors.org/Landmarks/eiffel-history.htm Mills, I. C. 2008. The Eiffel Tower, Paris. Retrieved on April 26, 2009 from: http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Paris/Monuments-Paris/Eiffel.shtml Link Paris. 2009. Eiffel Tower. Retrieved on April 26, 2009 from: http://www.linkparis.com/eiffel-tower.htm The Official Site of the Eiffel Tower. 2008. All You Need to Know About the Eiffel Tower. Retrieved on April 26, 2009 from: http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/documentation/pdf/about_the%20Eiffel_Tower.pdf?id=4_11