The Eiffel Tower: From Eyesore to Icon

When Gustave Eiffel's company built Paris' most recognizable monument for the 1889 World's Fair, many regarded the massive iron structure with skepticism. Today, the Eiffel Tower—which still serves a vital role in television and radio broadcasts—is considered an architectural wonder and attracts more visitors than any other paid tourist attraction in the world.

Designing and Building the Iron Lady

In 1889, Paris hosted an Exposition Universelle to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. More than 100 artists submitted competing plans for a monument to be built on the Champ-de-Mars and serve as the exposition's entrance. The commission went to Eiffel et Compagnie, owned by acclaimed bridge builder, architect, and metals expert Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel.

While Eiffel often receives full credit for the monument bearing his name, it was one of his employees—structural engineer Maurice Koechlin—who came up with and fine-tuned the concept. The pair had previously collaborated on the Statue of Liberty's metal armature. Eiffel reportedly rejected Koechlin's original plan, instructing him to add more ornate flourishes.

The final design called for more than 18,000 pieces of puddle iron and 2.5 million rivets. Several hundred workers spent two years assembling the lattice tower, which at its inauguration in March 1889 stood nearly 1,000 feet high—the tallest structure in the world, a distinction it held until New York City's Chrysler Building was completed in 1930. (In 1957, an antenna added 65 feet, making it taller than the Chrysler Building but not the Empire State Building.)

Initially, only the second-floor platform was open to the public; later, all three levels—two of which now feature restaurants—became reachable by stairway or one of eight elevators.

Millions of visitors during and after the World's Fair marveled at Paris' newly erected wonder. Not all Parisians were as enthusiastic. Many either feared it was structurally unsound or considered it an eyesore. Novelist Guy de Maupassant allegedly hated the tower so much that he often ate lunch in the restaurant at its base—the only vantage point from which he could completely avoid glimpsing its looming silhouette.

From Temporary Exhibit to Permanent Icon

Originally intended as a temporary exhibit, the Eiffel Tower was almost torn down and scrapped in 1909. City officials opted to save it after recognizing its value as a radiotelegraph station. During World War I, it intercepted enemy radio communications, relayed zeppelin alerts, and dispatched emergency troop reinforcements. It escaped destruction a second time during World War II: Hitler initially ordered its demolition, but the command was never carried out. During the German occupation, French resistance fighters famously cut the tower's elevator cables so the Nazis had to climb the stairs.

Over the years, the Eiffel Tower has hosted numerous high-profile stunts, ceremonial events, and even scientific experiments. In 1911, German physicist Theodor Wulf used an electrometer to detect higher radiation levels at its top than at its base, observing what are now called cosmic rays. The tower has also inspired more than 30 replicas and similar structures worldwide.

Now one of the most recognizable structures on the planet, the Eiffel Tower underwent a major facelift in 1986 and is repainted every seven years. It welcomes an estimated 7 million visitors per year—more than any other paid monument in the world. Some 500 employees run its daily operations, working in its restaurants, manning its elevators, ensuring security, and directing eager crowds flocking to its platforms for panoramic views of the City of Lights.