By: Edward Grey
Submitted: 2008-09-14 16:52:53 | Word Count: 497
The Eiffel Tower, named after the French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, is one of the most famous structures in the world. It is the most visited monument in the world, where there is an admission charge.
Estimates indicate that more than 6 million people visit it each year. It is also the tallest built structure in all of Paris. There are stairways and lifts available to allow access to different levels of the Eiffel Tower. There are observation platforms allowing a clear view to the surrounding area beneath the tower itself. It is now considered as an invaluable symbol representing the city of Paris.
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It was built in 1887 for the World s Fair, an exhibition celebrating the French revolution. It was at first thought to be a highly unusual structure, leading to it being built in its current location instead of Barcelona City. When construction was originally finished, many complaints arose regarding the tower. Some claimed that it was not pleasant to look at due to its unusual look.
The strange design of the structure can be attributed to the factor of wind resistance. Initially planned to be one of the tallest structures in the world, Eiffel and his team of engineers took many precautions to ensure that the structure could withstand substantial amounts of wind resistance. Drawing upon their previous experience as bridge designers, they developed a mathematical calculation with the wind resistance being a major part of the equation.
The tower was slated to be demolished in the early 1900 s. However, it proved useful for communication purposes leading to the abandonment of that idea. The tower has been used since the 20th century for radio transmissions of different kinds. An underground radio center is located near the southern pillar of the tower. It was used by the Paris Observatory as an antenna to exchange wireless signals.
There are two restaurants in the tower. One of which is the Altitude 95. It is located on the first floor of the tower. The Jules Verne is the other restaurant, which is located on the second floor. It is a gastronomy themed restaurant with several expensive dishes. A popular chef, Alain Ducasse was hired to run the restaurant. Popular French cuisine can be sampled from these two restaurants. The top platform of the tower has a bar and a souvenir shop. The old office of Gustave Eiffel was recently restored and is another attraction in the tower.
In the year 2000, various lights were added to the tower. There is a light show held every night using these modern lights. There is also an ice skating rink installed on the first floor of the tower during the winter seasons.
There have been many strange events that have occurred related to the tower. One such event was when the tower was scaled by a mountaineer in 1954. Another such event occurred in 1984 when two Englishmen parachuted off the tower. A journalist once rode a bicycle down from the first level of the tower.
