We explain what the Eiffel Tower is, its dimensions, structure and design. In addition, we explain its characteristics, functions and more.
What is the Eiffel Tower?
The Eiffel Tower, Initially named “300-meter tower” (300 meter tour) is a puddled (refined) iron monument designed by French engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, together with architect Stephen Sauvestre, and built in Paris for the 1889 World’s Fair by Alexandre Eiffel.
The Eiffel Tower It took two years, two months and five days to build.and involved the work of 50 engineers and 150 factory workers, as well as 18,038 iron parts and more than 5,000 workshop designs. Although at the time it generated controversy among the public who considered it a metal monster, today it is one of the most emblematic symbols of the French capital and a tourist attraction of absolute interest.
The Eiffel Tower It was the tallest structure in the world for 41 years..
See also: Taj Mahal.
Dimensions of the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower It is 300 meters high, later extended to 324 meters by means of a radio antenna. at its top, and a width of 124.90 metres. It has three different habitable floors, one at 57.64 metres high, another at 115.73 metres, and the last at 276 metres high, from which the city can be seen all around.
The complete tower rests on a 2-meter concrete basewhich is located on a bed of gravel in foundations almost 7 metres deep. The total iron in the tower weighs 7,300 tonnes.
Location of the Eiffel Tower
It is located at the end of the Champ de Mars, on the south bank of the River Seine, in the seventh district of the French capital of ParisIt has become a true icon of the city, receiving 7.1 million tourists annually, for a total of 250 million visitors since its inauguration.
Structure and Design of the Eiffel Tower
The tower is made up of the three habitable levels described, plus an intermediate level, as well as a base and various foundations, pillars and arches.
- Base. A 125-meter square made of concrete that supports the entire tower.
- Foundations. Each installed in a foundation pit, two facing the French Military Academy and two facing the Seine River, these are four pillars with enormous 78 dm long retaining bolts.
- The pillars. These contain the ticket booths (north and west pillars) and the elevators (north, east and west pillars), as well as the stairs open to the public to the second floor.
- The arches. At 39 metres above the ground, they extend over the pillars and have a total diameter of 74 metres. They are purely aesthetic.
- First floor. With an area of 4,200 square meters, it can accommodate three thousand people simultaneously, in a gallery equipped with telescopes and maps of Paris for observing the surroundings. The restaurant is also located there. 58 Eiffel Tower and the Gustave Eiffel conference and multipurpose room.
- Second floor. With an area of 1,650 square meters and capacity for 1,600 people at a time, it allows you to see an average of 60 kilometers around. Here you will find the restaurant The Jules Verne.
- Intermediate plant. Equidistant from the first and second levels at 80 metres, this level is not open to tourism, but houses the machinery necessary for the lifts.
- Third floor. With a surface area of 350 square metres and capacity for 400 people simultaneously, this level is only reached by lift. There is the Bar in Champagne and a staging of Gustave Eiffel receiving Thomas Edison.
Movement of the Eiffel Tower
People say that The tower “escapes from the sun”, which is due to the expansion of the metal due to the heat received. during the day. Its sunniest side expands enough to slightly twist (approximately 18 cm) the tower towards the opposite side.
Similarly, The wind shakes the tower up to a maximum of 9 centimetersalthough its construction took into account at all times, contrary to what the newspapers of the time claimed, the forces of the wind in its design. Not in vain was Eiffel’s company a famous bridge builder.
Eiffel Tower Aesthetics
One of the main aesthetic achievements of the tower was to make the structure (the frame) of the tower is its main protagonistwhereas until now it used to be hidden and covered with cement.
This gave it an “unfinished” appearance that was the subject of criticism, but which has proven over time to be an ideal combination of functionality and minimalist aesthetics.
Eiffel Tower radial functions
Shortly after its inauguration, the Eiffel Tower It was used for military tests with communication antennastaking advantage of its height and position in the French city.
Today, in fact, the tower not only serves tourist and decorative functions, but It operates as an antenna for the transmission of local radio and television programs.through its 116 installed antennas.
Maintenance of the Eiffel Tower
To prevent the iron in the tower from rusting, About 60 tons of paint are required every seven years.managed by the foundation that runs the tower. It has been painted at least 19 times since its construction. The tower provides direct employment for approximately 500 people, including employees and staff of the foundation (SETE, for its initials in French).
Tribute to scientists Eiffel Tower
As a tribute to man’s inventiveness, Eiffel placed the surnames of 72 French mathematicians, engineers and scientists (almost all of them) on the tower.
Illumination of the Eiffel Tower
Given the tower’s enormous presence in the city, It is usually illuminated from its very inauguration (using gas lights)It currently has spotlights that glimpse the Parisian night, as well as thousands of twinkling bulbs that run through its metallic body.
Besides, It has been made the scene of numerous artistic illuminationspropagandistic or even commemorative, such as its illumination with the colours of the blue flag of the European Union when France received the rotating presidency of said organisation.
Finally, Every July 14th, fireworks are fired from its second floorto celebrate France’s national day.
Cultural significance of the Eiffel Tower
Not only is it a quintessential Parisian and French symbol, but the Eiffel Tower has made its entrance into numerous artistic, photographic, iconographic and even literary representationsIt is present in coins, songs, paintings, postcards, comics, films, calligrams and countless cultural productions.
It is also a significant historical site, where Nazis were portrayed during their occupation of France, and where numerous sporting challenges have been carried outSo much so that there are replicas in Las Vegas (USA), Durango (Mexico) and Tokyo (Japan).