THE EIFFEL TOWER
The Eiffel Tower was built for the International Exhibition of Paris 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England, opened the Tower. Gustave Eiffel’s design was unanimously chosen among the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition. He was assisted in the design by engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre. This Tower is an immense structure of exposed latticework supports made of iron. Symbol of the engineering and architectural achievements of its age, soaring 300m/ 984 ft (320.75m/1,052ft including antenna), and weighing 7000 tons, the structure consists of two visibly parts: a base composed of a platform resting on four separate supports (called pylons or bents) and, above this, a slender tower created as the bents taper upward, rising above a second platform to merge in a unified column. All the crossroads of the entire world, 180million visitors have come since its construction.