History of the Eiffel Tower

In 1889 , one of the largest fairs in the world was to take place in France. This, of course, was the World's Fair held in Paris as part of the bicentennial of the French Revolution. With the fair in mind, officials at the head of the city of Paris decided to hold a competition for architectural engineers. The competition involved designing a building that would be a spectacle for the crowds, yet be easily dismantled a few years after the fair.

As fate would have it, Gustave Eiffel was designing just such a building; only his building was being engineered for Barcelona. Upon completion of the design, however, Barcelona was no longer interested. They cited Eiffel's odd looking tower was too strange and expensive to be constructed. Luckily, Gustave didn't give up and he decided to submit his project to the Paris city officials who accepted his it with glee.

The Eiffel Tower was of unusual design back in the late 19^th century. It features no floors or levels, only two platforms at the top with an elevator leading tourists to their siteseeing bliss. Unlike towers and structures of the time, Eiffel decided to use an open frame look for his tower. This decision came under much ridicule. Many called it useless and a monstrous eye sore. Many engineers and artists declared their general hate for this ugly building Eiffel built in the middle of Paris.

The public, however, had a different take on the tower. Taking a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower one could see many of the vistas of Paris. With the aid of the World's Fair, the tower was a huge hit and the entire construction costs were covered within a year through ticket sales.

Standing almost one thousand feet tall, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris, which caused a few problems in 1909. Eiffel's tower was only supposed to be a short term fixture in the community as the contest held two decades earlier stated it would be dismantled. Zoning restrictions only allowed buildings stand at seven stories in Paris; the Eiffel Tower pushes twenty stories.

In the end, the tower was allowed to stand. By 1909, the attitude towards the Eiffel Tower had become more supportive and it became a national symbol to the French people. The Eiffel Tower is a landmark for tourists and a marvel for engineers, becoming a master piece for Gustave Eiffel and France.