Today, the Eiffel tower we know is the iconic symbol of Paris adored by tourists. Since its construction in 1889, a total of 250 million people have visited the tower (Palermo). Each year, seven million people come to Paris to enjoy what the most recognizable French attraction has to offer (Palermo). They line up for hours to go up the tower and take a look at the city from above. The Eiffel tower is all over merchandise – bags, cups, magnets, and postcards, pictures, and keychains. But what if I told you that the Eiffel tower has not always enjoyed this kind of popularity? In fact, 126 years ago the idea of a giant tower in the shape of the letter “A” created a lot of controversy in Paris and across France.
Even to contemporary visitors, the Eiffel tower is something unique and distinctive. In the 19th century, it was even more so because the Eiffel tower marked the beginning of a new era in art and architecture. The historical site was created by Gustave Eiffel, a French civil engineer who gave the tower his name, and two lesser-known engineers, Eiffel’s employees – Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, who came up with the original drawings for the monument (Kunzig). The team participated in a contest that was supposed to pick the main exhibit for the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. The said World’s fair was to celebrate the centennial of the 1789 French revolution. Through the centerpiece, the French wanted to demonstrate their industrial power to the world.
At first, it may be confusing how the Eiffel tower can be associated with industrialization. The answer lies in the main material that was used for the construction of the tower. Iron became the cornerstone of the new architecture, but many engineers were at loss about how to use it in new ways (Kunzig). At first, they were trying to replicate old architectural forms that were more suitable for stone. After unsuccessful attempts, iron became purely functional and was used in support structures. In contrast, the Eiffel tower was the first building to use iron for aesthetic purposes. It was supposed to be visually pleasing and a big step away from traditions of the past.
However, when it comes to the design of the Eiffel Tower, not everything was about the looks. Eiffel’s first sketch was far from the Eiffel tower that is recognizable worldwide. He was not a good artist, so what he conceived initially looked like a pylon viaduct. Soon the environment made its own rules, and the engineers had to change the conception. The concept of the Eiffel Tower was marketed as the tallest building in Paris, but the wind could prevent it from happening (Kunzig). To make the tower more stable, the decision was made to give it a more “flared” shape. The lace ornaments were also originally designed to protect the construction from the wind.
The factors that determined the design of the tower are aligned with two different approaches to architecture, which makes it even more interesting. On the one hand, the Eiffel tower was the first building in Paris that did not have a clear purpose. Surely, today people can find plenty of things to do at and around the tower. Yet, at first, the tower was rather symbolic than functional. On the other hand, “form had to follow function,” and as mentioned before, some elements were not aesthetic but rather engineered to ensure better stability and preservation (Kunzig).
Like anything new and radical, the Eiffel tower had its fans and critics. Many artists and writers were extremely unhappy with a giant iron building in the very heart of Paris. For example, the famous French writer Guy de Maupassant planned to leave Paris just because of the tower (Palermo). He supposedly had lunch in the Tower’s restaurant every day because according to him, it was the only spot in town from which he could not see the structure.
Gustav Eiffel was aware of the criticism and did not hold back to respond and make his position clear. He said that the Eiffel tower will “possess its own beauty (Herve 200).” The creator also did not find the arguments about his inability to understand aesthetics as an engineer. He asked the public whether they did not believe that one could “seek to create elegance as well as stability and durability (Herve 200).” Today, it is apparent that Eiffel was a visionary way ahead of his time. Though criticized profusely for his experimental approach, he was able to create a landmark building that lived on to become the symbol of Paris.
Works Cited
Herve, Lucien. The Eiffel Tower. Princeton Architectural Press, 2003.
Kunzig, Robert. “Object of Hatred to ‘Beloved Symbol’: The Story of the Eiffel Tower”. National Geographic, 2019. Web.
Palermo, Elizabeth. “Eiffel Tower: Information & Facts”. Live Science, 2017. Web.