Eiffel Tower by Gustave Eiffel — Iron Architecture in Paris

Gustave Eiffel — The Eiffel Tower

Work: Eiffel Tower
Author: Gustave Eiffel
Location: Paris
Date: 1887–1889

I. Meaning and Function

In 1887, Gustave Eiffel was commissioned to build an iron tower for the Exposition Universelle to be held in Paris. The tower, at 300 m, whose function is to show its own structural elements, became a symbol of modernity.

Constructive Elements

Constructive elements are prevalent in the Eiffel Tower: the assembly of iron pieces, the methods by which the metal expands and contracts, and the stress calculations. Because it is an open structure, it conveys a sense of lightness that does not correspond to its actual weight.

The four feet at the base, connected by arched structures, recall the origins of the iron bridge engineer Gustave Eiffel; in the larger arches the decorative intent is more apparent. From the first platform, the design results in a pronounced narrowing pyramid that accentuates the sense of verticality.

• Exposed structural ironwork
• Design accounting for thermal expansion and contraction
• Stress and load calculations
• Open structure creating perceived lightness
• Base arches linking the four feet with decorative treatment
• Pronounced narrowing above the first platform accentuating verticality

Relationship of the Author and His Work with His Era

In the nineteenth century, iron construction became common. The substitution of wood with coal and industrial advances enabled the widespread production and use of iron. The conditions that allowed the use of iron and cement were:

• The production of these materials in large quantities at low cost
• The possibility of easy transport
• The progress of building science and mathematical calculation of loads and thrusts

In 1851, Joseph Paxton (1803–1865) designed and built the Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition in London. What was new was the use of prefabrication (metal segments, sheets of glass). From 1867 to 1889, iron architecture reached its peak. At the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867 a young engineer was announced as a partner: Gustave Eiffel (1832–1923), an expert in the design of bridges, stations and other metal structures.

Gustave Eiffel's company participated in world exhibitions in Vienna (1873) and Paris (1878). He showed his work on the bridge over the Douro (1876), Le Bon Marché stores in Paris (1876), the Garabit Viaduct (1880–1884), and in the construction of the Statue of Liberty in New York (1881–1886).

The 1889 Paris Universal Exposition, one of the most important, celebrated the centenary of the French Revolution. For this exposition two notable buildings were presented: the Eiffel Tower and the Gallery of Machines — a large structure more than 100 feet wide and almost half a kilometer long without internal supports — designed by architect Dutert (C. L. F.).

The Eiffel Tower secured the triumph of technicians and can be considered a precursor of Art Nouveau.