The Eiffel Tower is a famous symbol of Paris today. But all the stages, from the design and construction of the structure to the operation, were accompanied by difficulties. Many obstructed the path of the creator of the monument to the French Revolution. Nevertheless, tourists still consider this place one of the most romantic in the world.
Ingenious design
When Gustave Eiffel first presented his project on the eve of the 1889 World Exhibition, his idea was received with hostility. The tower, 300 meters high, which he planned to erect as a monument to the centenary of the French Revolution, for a long time became the subject of controversy in Parisian society.
Such famous people of the XIX century as Dumas, Maupassant, the architect Garnier, even made a complaint, calling the tower "a shameless skeleton", "a huge chimney of a factory, whose shape will disfigure the architectural harmony of the city."
Despite criticism and frequent workers' strikes, construction was completed in just over two years.
Construction history
Gustave Eiffel became famous for his unusual ideas for building bridges, a railway station in Budapest, and the frame of the Statue of Liberty. He watched as his greatest project, like a huge designer, assembled from 18,038 parts and fastened with 2.5 million rivets, rose from oblivion.
More than 300 builders took part in the construction of the tower, who had to be stuntmen, fastening together huge parts. Many died in the process.
The tower, opened to the general public in May 1889, was an instant success. Eiffel was able to reimburse creditors for the funds spent on the construction only through the proceeds from the sale of entrance tickets to the tower to 186,800 visitors.
However, 20 years later, the land lease expired and the Eiffel lost control of the tower. It passed into the hands of the authorities, who believed that the land was too expensive for such a frivolous structure, and offered to turn it into scrap metal.
Fortunately, in connection with the First World War, a military telegraph and radio station were placed in the Eiffel Tower, the lease was extended for another 70 years, and the influx of tourists resumed.
But by 1980, the designs were dilapidated. The structure, which weighed 9,700 tons in 1889, carried an additional 1,300 tons of sediment, radio and television antennas. The elevators were worn out and the tower was deemed dangerous. A commission was convened and reconstruction was carried out within three years. Extra elements were sawed off from the tower, the most recognizable details, such as parts of the original staircase, were put up for auction. New elevators were installed and the entire structure was painted with five tons of paint.
Tower today
Today the Eiffel Tower is very popular. In 2013, it was visited by over 4.5 million people. Three new restaurants, a post office, a conference room and a currency exchange office were opened in it.
