The Eiffel Tower was built in the year 1889 for the Universal Exposition and has since become a symbol of Paris.The Eiffel Tower, La Tour Eiffel in French, is a wrought iron structure that stands 1,063 ft (324 m) tall in Paris, France. It was created for the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, now is currently Paris’ most well-known symbol.The Tower was created by two engineers working for an architect and engineer Gustave Eiffel and was later approved by Eiffel and suggested as the centerpiece for the Exposition Universelle in 1889, which was held in France’s capital. Following approval, 250 workers were employed to construct the monument, which took more than two years to complete.The Eiffel Tower is a work of art in the field of architecture and was built in two years, two months, and five days, to be precise. The Eiffel Tower is basically a wrought-iron tower, and although we now consider it to be a marvel, that was not always the case. The monstrous Eiffel Tower was thought to be a blemish on the Parisian skyline by eminent artists of the time, and given its low profitability, it was urged on multiple occasions that it be demolished. Writers, painters, sculptors, and many other architects staged protests and wrote to the French administration that they would protest against this monument with ‘all our indignation’ as it was a stain on French culture. However, once the tower was erected, it proved to be quite useful. During World War I, the tower radiotelegraphy center was put to work on intercepting enemy signals.Now, in retrospect, it is widely accepted that Gustave Eiffel’s company created a lasting piece of art adorning the Paris skyline. With over seven million visitors per year, the Eiffel Tower is currently the world’s most visited monument with three floors - the first, second, and the summit. It is perhaps the summit that leaves a great impression on all its visitors from around the world.Yet, did you know that the Eiffel tower was not always meant to be built in Paris? Keep on reading to learn more about this interesting trivia! If you find this article on the origins of the Eiffel tower of Paris a fun read, you could also check out the Statue of Liberty and Chrysler Building in New York. Importance Of Location Where Eiffel Tower Was Originally Going To Be BuiltBarcelona is the largest biotech hub in Spain, as well as a major cultural, commercial, and financial center in southwestern Europe. Barcelona’s impact on worldwide socio-economic concerns qualifies it for global city rank as a prominent world city.It was in this boisterous Spanish region that Gustave Eiffel first pitched the idea for the Eiffel Tower. For the same reasons that the French initially protested, Barcelona city officials thought that the tower would be a disaster for the city’s skyline and thus rejected it. This left Gustave Eiffel with no other choice and he was forced to move the tower to a different place. This different place turned out to be the city of Paris, the capital of the French Empire!Currently, Barcelona’s tourism industry continues to be one of the city’s most important economic drivers, accounting for almost 14% of the city’s income and with more than 65,000 people with jobs in that industry. Tourist purchases account for 61% of revenues in places like Plaça de Catalunya, Passeig de Gràcia, Portal de l’angel, and the Portaferissa area. As per the reports of a survey from a leading organization, the area known as Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona accounts for roughly 27% of all tourist purchases in the entire country of Spain! One can only imagine what a boost Barcelona would have received in terms of tourists if the Eiffel Tower had been built there. Barcelona is also home to the famous FC Barcelona, a soccer club renowned all across the world.Reasons For Building Eiffel Tower In FranceTo mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution in Europe as part of the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, the Parisian authorities gave Gustave Eiffel permission to build this Tower. The French Revolution was a pivotal moment in French history as well as the modern world.Since its construction, the Eiffel Tower has become one of the most magnificent structures, not just in France; it’s even one of the Seven Wonders of the modern world. The organizers held a design competition all around France in the run-up to the expo. Several designers and engineers came up with various concepts and designs for how to better France. A blueprint by Gustave Eiffel made the best impression on the majority of people among the numerous proposals. A little-known fact about Gustave Eiffel is the architect who also helped in the construction of the interior framework of Lady Liberty or Statue of Liberty.Émile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin were engineers who were part of the Compagnie des Établissements Eiffel and designed the Eiffel Tower. The Latting Observatory, completed in New York City in 1853, was the main source of design inspiration for the Eiffel Tower. In May 1884, Koechlin sketched their concept and this is what was sent to Gustave Eiffel. Satisfied with the design, Eiffel asked for the input of a few other people in his company, before finalizing the design!The Eiffel Tower’s height made it an ideal platform for conducting experiments with temperature, pressure, and radiotelegraphy. The tower served as the fair’s main symbol as well as an outstanding entrance. Eiffel made most of his money from the tower’s commercial exploitation during the exhibition for the first 20 years till 1909. Following that, some people demanded that it be dismantled and used for scrap metal. The Eiffel Tower was, however, saved by politicians and scientists who planned to utilize it as a radio transmission tower.Eiffel tower is also known as La Dame de Fer (the ‘Iron Lady’) and was the world’s tallest structure of the world at the time. With the addition of an antenna in 1957, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Chrysler Building in height. However, it was still no match for the then tallest building in the world, another New York City skyscraper, the Empire State Building.Reasons For Changing Eiffel Tower’s LocationThe Eiffel Tower was a construction planned to be done in Barcelona. The city, however, rejected Gustave Eiffel’s proposals, believing that the city’s skyline would wind up looking very odd, and he was compelled to re-pitch the project elsewhere. Fortunately, Eiffel’s vision was accepted in Paris, where the tower would become one of the principal symbols of the 1889 International Exposition. Now, while the tower was built in France as the original visual creation of that era, there are plenty of replicas that have popped up in places like Las Vegas and many more countries around the world.There are many reasons Paris is the best location for the construction of the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is a symbol of Paris’ emancipation for the French people. With the use of the bolted metal along with a square base, the construction of the Eiffel Tower was itself a monumental process that took into account factors like wind resistance. Interestingly, many innovative things were used for the construction, including the usage of compressed air! Did you know that Gustave Eiffel had a secret apartment, and one of the hidden rules was that no one was allowed access into the structural engineer and architect’s hidden lair? Currently, if you visit the very top floor, you’ll find a champagne bar and along with a post office present on the first floor.There are many things to see around the area where the construction of the Eiffel Tower took place. Champ de Mars is one of the beautiful spots in Paris for a very French picnic. Even Thomas Edison was one of the tourists of the Eiffel Tower.Did you know that the Musée Rodin, devoted to the legendary French artist and sculptor Auguste Rodin, is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower? The mansion turned small museum is open Tuesday through Sunday and has a secret garden with excellent views of the Eiffel Tower and numerous Rodin sculptures.If you’re looking for a must-do activity in Paris, you must see the Eiffel Tower glitter at least once during your stay. The finest site to watch is the lit tower during the famed five-minute show held in the evening.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for where was the Eiffel tower originally going to be built, then why not take a look at Eiffel Tower USA or Eiffel tower vs Statue of Liberty?
The Eiffel Tower was built in the year 1889 for the Universal Exposition and has since become a symbol of Paris.
