When you say “La dame de fer” to French people, of course, the first thing that comes to their mind is the Eiffel tower.
So, what is the reason for creating this iron pile, which has a unique name, is a cultural icon, and attracts 6 million tourists annually?
The project that belonged to entrepreneur Gustave Eiffel, engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre, was chosen from among 107 projects.The assembly of the supports began on July 1, 1887, and was completed twenty-two months later.
All metal parts in this structure were made using the hot riveting technique, a very sophisticated construction method for that period. The tower is 1,083 ft (330 metres) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building, and the tallest structure in Paris.
Because of their unique shape, which was dictated partly by engineering considerations but also partly by Eiffel’s artistic sense, the piers required elevators to ascend on a curve.
The glass-cage machines designed by an American company became one of the principal features of the building.
