Trifosa's Blog: Eiffel Tower (English Version)

Eiffel Tower

I deliberately wrote this post in English for task. But the truth is, I've ever made this article in Indonesian. Here's the link for my previous post about The Eiffel Tower in Indonesian Version Menara Eiffel (Eiffel Tower) :-D

Details

Country : France
Development : January 28, 1887 - March 30, 1889 (2 years, 2 months, 5 days)
Builder : Alexandre Gustave Eiffel
Architect : Charles Leon Stephen Sauvestre
Cost : 7.4 million Frances
Building materials : Tower made of wrought iron. The foundation is made of reinforced concrete
High : 300.65 m (without antenna); 324 m (with antenna)

Level 1: High 57.63 m; The surface area of 4,200 m2 basis
Level 2: High 115.73 m; basic surface area of 1400 m2
Level 3: High 276.13 m, a surface area of 350 m2 basis

Weight: 7,000 Tons
Lifts (elevators): Since 1889 is equipped with a lift (elevator)
Number of stairs: 1710 steps

History :

Gustave Eiffel was actually planned to build the tower in Barcelona for the Universal Exhibition of 1888. But, the parties who have responsibility at Barcelona City Hall thought the project was strange and expensive, and also does not fit to the city. After the rejection from Barcelona, Gustave Eiffel submitted his draft to the responsible parties for the Universal Exhibition in Paris, where he built the tower a year later, in the year 1889.

The Eiffel Tower was actually built as a gateway "Exposition Universelle in 1889", which is a World's Fair, which coincides with the 100 years of the French Revolution. Despite harsh criticism and protests from residents and intellectuals in Paris, the Eiffel Tower construction is still being done from 1887 to 1889. The tower was inaugurated on March 31, 1889 with the French flag fluttering st the peak and opened to the public on May 6 in the same year. Bureau Eiffel planners made 5,300 detailed drawings of 18,000 pieces of different parts. Steel iron cross linked in the form of 18,038 puddled iron ore reinforced with nails 2,500,000.

The tower received some criticism from the public when it was built, one reason is distracting the view. Daily newspapers are filled with critical letters from the arts community in Paris. One of them was be included in the US Government Printing Office, William Watson about Paris Universal Exhibition of Civil Engineering, Public Works, and Architecture in 1892.

"And for twenty years we have seen, extends to all cities, still lived by genius people, we see a black shadowy expanse of black columns are constructed of iron spikes." The signing of this letter included Messonier, Gounod, Garnier , Gerome, Bougeureau, and Dumas.

The Novelist, Guy de Maupassant (who hates the tower) lunch in the Tower's restaurant every day. When asked why, he replied that it was the only place in Paris where he could not see the tower.

The Eiffel Tower has permission to stand for 20 years, which means it should be dismantled in 1909, when the ownership transferred to Paris. The townspeople were planning to demolish the tower, but after this tower has proved some profits to communication, the tower can still standing after the permit expires. The military used it to dispatch during the First Battle of the Marne, and it becomes the victory monument of the battle.

Accidents:

The risk of the construction was very high. Unlike the other modern skyscrapers, the tower is open without any intermediate floors except the two platforms. However, because Eiffel took a cautious stance, including the use of mobile cranes, rails and screens, only one man died.

Characteristics:

Eiffel tower height from the ground to the flagpole reached 312.27 meters in the year 1889, but now a 324 meters with antennae. Currently, a variety of French television companies install their antennas at the peak of Eiffel Tower. The wind can cause the tower to sway as much as 6-7 cm and the heat may cause the spire to 18 cm away from the sun. Top of the tower may shift away from sun up to 18 cm (7 inches) due to expansion of metal on the side facing the sun. The tower also can swing around 6-7 cm (2-3 inches) in windy. Mr. Gustave Eiffel's masterpiece framework is windproof, although the material is from iron and heavy tower are about 7.300 tons.

Treatments:

The Eiffel Tower is owned by the regional government of Paris and is managed by a private company, "Société Nouvelle de l'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel", the iron frame is renovated every 7 years and painted with 50 tons to 60 tons of paint. To maintain the appearance for the visitors, three different colors are used on the tower, with a dark color below and above the bright colors. At the first level there is an interactive console that tells color to the next painting. Renovation worked by workers who master the acrobatic and alpinis sport

Some Occasions That Ever Happened and Interest Facts In Eiffel Tower :

On September 10, 1889, Thomas Edison visited the tower. He signed the guest book with the following message "Dear Mr. Eiffel the Engineer the brave builder of modern architecture and original from someone who gives great appreciation for all Engineers including the Great Engineer the Bon Dieu, Thomas Edison."
In 1902, the tower was struck by lightning. The peak at height of 100 m (330 ft) has to be rebuilt and the lights illuminating the tower to be replaced soon.
Father Theodor Wulf 1910, made an observations with radiant energy emitted above and below the tower. Then he finds it more than expected, and initiated what is now called cosmic rays.
February 4, 1912, Austrian tailor Franz Reichelt has died after jumping from 60 meters (the first deck of the Eiffel Tower) with his parachute.
In 1925, artist Victor Lustig "sold" the tower as scrap metal.
In 1930, the tower lost his title as the world's tallest structure when the Chrysler Building was completed built in New York City.
From 1925 to 1934, a billboard for Citroën filled all the three sides of the tower, making it becomes the world's highest advertising board at that time.
Before the Nazi's occupation of Paris in 1940, the lift cables were cut by the French so that Adolf Hitler had to climb the stairs to the peak.
January 3, 1956, a fire singeing the spire.
In 1957, radio antenna was added at the peak tower.
In the action / adventure film James Bond 1985 "A View To A Kill", Sir Roger Moore as James Bond chases May Day played by actress Grace Jones on the Eiffel Tower. He wore the parachute from the structure to escape. Video movie's theme song, sung by Duran Duran, also included several scenes of the band singing at the tower who clashed with scenes from the movie. 20 years earlier, Movies "Bond Thunderball" (1985) shows the tower when Largo parked at the outside Specter's office in Paris.
July 14, 1995, Hari Bastille, French synthesizer musician, Jean Michel Jarre, performing concerts for concern the assistance of UNESCO at the tower. This free concert is visited by 1.5 million people and full the Champ-de-Mars. The concert featured lighting effects and projections, and a huge fireworks. Three years later, he returned to the same place for other music events, Electronic Night.
On New Year's Eve of 2000, the Eiffel Tower of Paris held the Millennium Celebrations. Fireworks were fired from the entire tower with a spectacular performance. An exhibition on the first level cafeteria was also celebrated.
In 2000, the lights flickered and four high-powered beacon lights installed in the tower. Since then the light show has become a daily event every night. Beacon lights on the tower make it becomes lighthouse in the night sky of Paris.
At 19:20 on July 22, 2003, a wildfire occurred at the peak of tower in the preparation broadcasting room. The equipment in the towers are moved to the outside; fire was under control after 40 minutes, and there are no reports of injuries people.
Since 2004, the Eiffel Tower has made a level courts for ice skating at the first floor during the winter.
Do you know, if all the elevators at the Eiffel Tower are counted, the number of annual utility is equal with two and a half times we around the world, or more than 103,000 km.