In the bright star of the world's architecture, there is a category of buildings, they are like the soul of the city's logo, once mentioned, can immediately remind people of the city, the Eiffel Tower is undoubtedly one of the outstanding representatives. It is not only a symbol of Paris, but also carries the history and culture of France, however, the birth of this world-famous tower in the beginning, but it is not all smooth sailing.
The Expo and the French government's architectural vision
In 1885, the French government harboured an ambitious plan. Four years later, in 1889, France would host an extraordinary World's Fair, the theme of which would be 'The 100th Anniversary of the Victory of the French Revolution'. For this event, the French government expected to grace the exposition by creating a monument or tower on the Place de la Guerre in Paris.Going back in history, the influence of architecture in large-scale international events should not be underestimated: at the first modern World's Fair in London, England, in 1851, the horticulturalist Paxton designed the 'Crystal Palace' to amaze the world. Constructed from the new materials of glass and steel, the building became an iconic presence at that World's Fair, and even led to the habit of referring to it as the 'Crystal Palace Exposition'. A striking building seemed to be an indispensable element of a successful World's Fair. And it was at the end of 1884 that the Washington Monument in the United States was completed (after 51 years), a 169-metre-high obelisk that attracted global attention and reaped countless accolades, making it the tallest building in the world at the time. In the face of all this, the French government was envious and also wished to take the opportunity of hosting the World Expo to create a 'face project' of its own.However, the French government put forward the construction conditions are quite peculiar: one, the building should have the ability to attract tourists to visit and can make profits through ticket sales; two, after the Expo, it should be able to be easily dismantled. It was not easy to meet the requirements of glory, economic gain and one-time use. Therefore, the French government issued an invitation to tender to the world.
A variety of designs and the Eiffel's triumph
By the deadline of 18 May 1887, the French government had received more than 100 designs. Most of the designs were more conventional, but there was no shortage of eye-popping 'whimsical' ideas. Some proposed a giant guillotine, which, in their view, might indeed reflect elements of the French Revolution; others proposed a 1,000-foot (305-metre) sprinkler that would irrigate Paris during the dry season, perhaps from the unique perspective of a meteorologist or agriculturalist; and others suggested a tower that would be the perfect place for a waterfall in the midst of a drought. Others suggested building a tower with a giant electric light at the top, bright enough to illuminate Paris eight times over, for the simple reason that it would make it easier for people to read their newspapers at night (seemingly ignoring the fact that Parisians were in the habit of doing so).Among the many proposals, one by an architect named Gustave Eiffel caught the attention of the French government. Eiffel's idea was simple and bold: he wanted to build a pure tower with no other function. The tower was unique in that it would be made entirely of steel and would be at least twice as tall as any other structure in the world at the time, whether it was the ancient and mysterious Pyramid of Khufu, the magnificent Cologne Cathedral, the soaring towers of Ulm Cathedral, or the impressive Washington Monument.
Eiffel's Architectural Achievements and Determination to Build the Tower
At the age of 54, Gustave Eiffel was already a renowned architect in Europe. 24 years old, he led the design of the Bordeaux-Garonne railway bridge in France, pioneering the innovative technique of driving the piers with high-pressure air, an achievement that was a monument to his career. 28 years old in 1860, he completed the famous Bordeaux Bridge in France, which was the first of its kind in the world to be built with a 500-metre-long steel element. In 1860, at the age of 28, he completed the famous Bordeaux Bridge in France, successfully placing the 500-metre-long steel elements on six piers across the Gironde River, and in 1875 he designed the Budapest railway terminus, and the following year he designed and constructed the Douro Railway Bridge, which was the world's largest non-suspension bridge at the time, and which was in use for 114 years (it was decommissioned in 1991). He was also involved in the design of the internal steel skeleton structure of the Statue of Liberty in New York, USA. This wealth of experience and his achievements inspired confidence in his proposal to build a tower of over 300 metres in height, even if it sounded a bit shocking.According to Eiffel's budget, the tower would cost $1.6 million (equivalent to about $140 million today in terms of the gold ratio). The French government said it could not afford such a high cost. However, Eiffel showed remarkable determination and decided to finance it himself. It was agreed that the French government would pay $300,000, while Eiffel would advance $1.3 million, using everything he had, even mortgaging all of his company's assets. In exchange, Eiffel would receive all the income from the tower during the exposition and for the next 20 years (by which time the government had agreed to keep the tower after the exposition). Many thought Eiffel was crazy, but he was determined, and in January 1897, the agreement was signed.
The controversy over the construction of the Tower
On 28 January 1897, shortly after the signing of the agreement, the construction of the Tower began, just two years before the opening of the World's Fair. However, the start of the construction of the pylons sparked unprecedented controversy.On 14 February 1897, 300 eminent personalities, including the famous French literary figures Maupassant and Dumas, signed a protest against the construction of the Paris Tower. They expressed their deep appreciation for the beauty of Paris and considered the Tower a desecration of the city's image. In their eyes, the building, which was planned to be constructed in the heart of Paris, resembled an absurd monster. They questioned how the beautiful traditional architecture of Paris could coexist with such a dizzying, grotesque and ridiculous black chimney. It is like a drop of dirty ink on pure white paper, a terrible stain that the devil has forced on the beautiful face of Paris, which will surely destroy the whole architectural atmosphere of Paris, bring shame to Parisian architecture and make the beauty of Paris completely lost in a nightmare.The protests of these celebrities triggered a massive petition by the citizens of Paris. Citizens generally agreed that the Paris Tower was like a giant black factory chimney towering over Paris, a behemoth that would overshadow the glory of famous buildings such as Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the Arc de Triomphe. In addition to these aesthetic objections, there were various other critical voices. A French maths professor predicted that the Tower would collapse when it reached 748 feet (228 metres); an expert claimed that the Tower's lights would kill all the fish in the Seine; the Paris edition of the New York Illuminator claimed that the Tower was changing the climate; and the daily newspaper Le Rosenkavalier de Paris devoted a headline to the fact that the Tower was 'sinking'. But in the face of this tidal wave of opposition, Eiffel was unmoved. In his book Eiffel's Tower, author Gil Jones wrote: 'For Eiffel, the whole point of the project was that France was going to have the tallest building in the world, twice as tall as the tallest building of its time, and he knew how to make it happen technically.'
The masterful construction of the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel was so determined because he had plenty of backbone. Even before the Tower was built, he and his team of engineers had produced 5,329 drawings and meticulously planned the 18,038 steel components, thinking of every job in detail.To ensure that the four piers were on the same level (a key factor in determining whether or not the tower would tilt and collapse), Eiffel installed a temporary water pressure pump at the base of each pier to fine-tune the height. Amazingly, when the four piers were built to a height of 55 metres, none of them were more than 7 cm out of alignment, and this perfect levelling has been maintained to this day.The Eiffel Tower is 300 metres high and uses 12,000 metal parts of all kinds, none of which had to be reworked due to the rigorous design. During its construction, the Eiffel utilised many creative techniques. Unlike other large-scale construction projects of the time, he had all the components manufactured in his own workshop in advance, so that they could be installed quickly once they arrived at the site. The tower used 2.5 million rivets, the holes of which were pre-fabricated to a tolerance of 1/10 millimetre, enabling 20 riveting teams to assemble 1,650 rivets per day. Moreover, each component used to build the tower weighed no more than 3 tonnes, which allowed the use of small cranes. Thus, amidst the controversy, the Eiffel Tower grew taller and taller every day. When the tower was more than 2/3 of the way up, the criticisms began to diminish and the praises grew.
The splendour and significance of the Eiffel Tower after its completion
After the completion of the Eiffel Tower, it immediately became the representative of France's high-end technology and the symbol of the country. Most of those who were once fierce critics were transformed into praisers. Even Tillard, the French Prime Minister who was initially against the construction of the Eiffel Tower, personally awarded Eiffel the Legion of Honour after the tower's completion.Both the French and tourists from all over the world were struck by the majesty of the Eiffel Tower. The Tower generated $1.4 million in admission fees and revenues during the Expo, and Eiffel was able to recoup his investment by the time the Expo was over. In fact, by 2010, the Eiffel Tower will generate €1.5 billion in tourism revenue for France each year.Although the Eiffel Tower was originally built as a monumental tower, it gradually demonstrated a wealth of usefulness. Aerodynamic experiments, material endurance studies, mountaineering physiology, telecommunication problems, meteorological observations, and many other fields of research have relied on the tower. In particular, the popularisation of radio technology gave the towering Eiffel Tower an even greater significance. In 1914, during the Battle of the Marne in World War I, it was from the top of the Eiffel Tower that the French transmitted strategic signals to the French troops at the front.The writer Maupassant, who once strongly opposed the construction of the Tower, later fell in love with dining in the restaurant on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. When asked if he still hated the Eiffel Tower, his answer was full of fun: 'This is, after all, the only place in all of Paris where you can't see this tower!'
The love story behind the Eiffel Tower
Behind the story of the Eiffel Tower lies a touching love affair. Many people speculate that Eiffel was willing to gamble his entire fortune to build the tower, in addition to the pursuit of a sense of achievement and the consideration of economic interests, there may be a deeper reason.When Eiffel was young and unknown, he met Marguerite, a wealthy young lady. Margaret saw the talent and potential in Eiffel and encouraged him to pursue his dream of becoming an architect, and despite her family's opposition, she married him. It was the happiest time of Eiffel's life, but as fate would have it, Margaret died at the age of 31. The grief-stricken Eiffel never married until he passed away at the age of 91. It is said that in Eiffel's later years, he once climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower, shouting his wife's name. Perhaps in his mind, that was the closest place to heaven, the place where he was closest to the soul of his beloved.
From controversy to classic: architecture and the test of time
In the long history of architecture, it is not uncommon to find examples like the Eiffel Tower experiencing a transition from controversy to classic. Anyone who has been to the Louvre will be impressed by the glass pyramid at its entrance. Designed by Chinese-American designer I.M. Pei, this gateway to the Louvre Museum cleverly borrows the shape of an ancient Egyptian pyramid while using a modern material, glass, which is able to show off the changing skies of Paris while providing good lighting for the underground facilities. However, when the proposal was first announced, it caused an uproar in France. At the time, some 90 per cent of Parisians were opposed to the idea, believing that such modern architecture would undermine the style of the 800-year-old building. Over time, however, the glass pyramid has become an integral part of the Louvre, even its symbol. When one stands at the entrance, it is as if one is in a time portal, entering through the modern glass pyramid and stepping into the classical world of the Louvre.The same is true of the Sydney Opera House, whose designer, Ursson, after disagreements with the Australian government, was so angry that he never wanted to set foot in Australia again, and did not even want to come and see the building after it was completed. The journey of these classic buildings tells us that apart from love, there are also buildings that need to stand the test of time. In the baptism of time, they gradually show their unique charm and value, and become immortal treasures of human civilisation. They carry history, culture and emotion, witness the development and change of human society, and also let us understand that great buildings often need to transcend the era of vision and perseverance to cast the faith.