Eiffel Tower celebrates 120 years as the symbol of Paris
May 16, 2009 // 0 CommentsFrance’s most enduring landmark was orignally built as a temporary structure.
Can anyone imagine Paris without the Eiffel Tower? Its planners certainly did. It was scheduled to be torn down no more 20 years after its construction, and many wanted it gone before that. The author Guy de Maupassant ate it its restaurant every day, because it was the only place in Paris where it could not be seen.
But now, 120 years after it was erected for the Paris Expo, the brainchild of Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower, is celebrating its birthday. The Tower received its 18th paint job for the occasion ( the formula for the disctictive bronze-beige color is a highly guarded secret). Two special exhibitions are being held in Paris. ‘Gustave Eiffel, le magicien du fer’ is on show at the town hall until the end of August and tells the story of the construction of the tower and its creator through a display of photos, paintings, sketches and models. ‘Tales of the Eiffel Tower’ is located on the first floor and the stairs of the Eiffel Tower. It includes a display of posters, photos, illustrations and interactive presentations, which chart the construction of the tower, how it has inspired artists throughout its history and has been replicated and represented throughout the world.
The Eiffel Tower is not only one of the most beloved of national monuments in Europe, it is also among the most visited. As of todayclose to 244 million visitors have hiked up the stairs or taken the elevators. The Tower, erected in 1889 to celebrate the centeinnil of the French Revolution as part of the Paris Expo, drew attention from the outset and never lost it. The attention was not universally positive. Many prominent Parisians detested the “skeleton” structure and demanded its swift deomolition. But Gustave Eiffel defended his construction, declaring that it had a beauty all its own.
When the number of visitors fell after the Expo was over and calls for its detrction mounted, Eiffel decided to turn his construction to profit by exploiting its scientific and commercial potential. A small observation station was installed, then a wireless telegraphy antenna and eventually a television broadcast antenna. These days, visitors to the Tower number 6 million per year.
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