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The Eiffel Tower - an enormous
structure of exposed latticework supports made of iron, was
constructed for the Paris Exposition of 1889. The Prince of
Wales officiated at the ceremonial opening. Of the 700 proposals
submitted in a design competition, one was collectively chosen,
a radical conception from the French structural engineer
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who was assisted in the design by
engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and architect
Stephen Sauvestre. The
Eiffel Tower was admired by Rousseau, Utrillo, Chagall, and
Delaunay. It was almost dismantled in 1909 at the termination of
its 20-year lease, but was saved because of its antenna - used
for telegraphy at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part of
the International Time Service. French radio and French
television have also made use of its stature. In the 1960s, it
was the subject of a wonderful study by semiologist Roland
Barthes.
Built to commemorate the
science and engineering achievements of its age, soaring 300m /
984 ft. and weighing 7000 tons, the structure is made up of two
visibly distinct parts - a base composed of a platform resting
on four separate supports and, above this, a slender tower
created as the bents taper upward, rising above a second
platform to come together in a unified column.
This unparalleled work, the
tallest structure in the world until the Empire State Building
was built about 40 years later, had several previous
circumstances. Among them were the iron-supported railway
viaducts designed by Eiffel, an arch bridge over the Douro River
in Portugal with a span of 160 m, and a design for a circular,
iron-frame tower proposed by the American engineers Clarke and
Reeves for the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Eiffel
acknowledged this influence publicly; as he was no stranger to
the United States, having designed the wrought-iron pylon inside
Frederic Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty in 1885. Later in the
same year, he had also begun work on the cupola of the Nice
observatory.
In the basements of the eastern
and western pillars, one can visit the gigantic 1899 machinery
which powers the elevators. From the Tower's three platforms
-especially the topmost - the view of Paris is superb. It is
generally agreed that one hour before sunset, the panorama is at
its best. The camera should not be forgotten to capture a
dazzling sunset on the Seine.
There are other magnificent
views, especially when the Trocadéro fountains are in full
force; one gets free show from the dancers and acrobats who
perform around the Palais de Chaillot. The vast green boulevard
beneath the tower is the Parc du Champs-de-Mars, which extends
all the way to the 18th-century Ecole Militaire, at its
southeast end. This formal lawn was once a parade ground for
French troops.
The Eiffel Tower at night is
one of the grand sights of Paris and shouldn't be missed. The
gold lighting highlights the delicacy of the steelwork in a way
that is missed in daylight.
The Eiffel Tower is a real
crowd pleaser. At the crossroads of the entire world, 180
million visitors have come since its construction. It's not
surprising when one considers that the Eiffel Tower is the
monument that best symbolizes Europe. It's also the one tourists
prefer.
About the Author
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