The Eiffel Tower & The Birth of Modern Architecture in France

With the Exposition planned, all that was needed was to have a modern structure constructed. This structure needed to be the symbol of the exposition that would show great architectural and artistic progress. The winning design for the Centennial Exposition was by Gustave Eiffel. Eiffel brought the original idea of beauty before structure. This idea would bring about the birth of modern architecture.

The aesthetic aspects to Eiffel’s tower and modern architecture were very important, however, the progress of industry was also necessary for the birth of modern architecture. With the use of new technology, such as wrought iron, Eiffel would be able to construct his tower. Wrought iron provided much needed strength, flexibility, and durability for the tower. Due to his use of new materials Eiffel claimed that his proposed tower would symbolize "not only the art of the modern engineer, but also the century of Industry and Science in which we are living."[1] Eiffel was able to build his tower because he acknowledged the fact that in order to take the next step in engineering, industry and science would need to be embraced by the modern engineer in order to create modern structures.

Although Eiffel had a clear image of how ground breaking his tower would be, many others were opposed to how it would impact the other Parisians. Leading figures in French cultural life were protesting against the tower, including writers Alexandre Dumas and Guy de Maupassant, artist Ernest Meissonier, and architect Charles Garnier. Garnier was very upset with the tower. He felt that the experimental material such as wrought and cast iron to be distasteful and that the tower was anything but artistic. Eiffel’s tower also violated the principles of L'Ecole Des Beaux-Arts. Eiffel did not let the controversy pass quietly. Defending his tower, he stated that "It seems to me that the Eiffel tower is worthy of being treated with respect, if only because it will show that we [the French] are… the country of engineers and builders who are called upon all over the world to construct bridges, viaducts, train stations, and the great monuments of modern industry."[2] Soon after defending his tower, Eiffel returned to work.


Eiffel's Tower Plan


Construction of The Eiffel Tower

 The plans for the Eiffel Tower presented a complex task, however, nobody could predict the difficulty that was to come. Towards the end of June 1887, Eiffel had the foundation for the tower completely in place. Soon after, by the beginning of July, the tower began to rise above the Paris rooftops. By October 1887, the tower stood at 92 feet, however, before the tower could go any higher, workers had to construct temporary bracing for additional support.[3] After the bracing was in place workers added four platforms that were 150 feet high and 82 feet long.[4] In order to complete the next phase of construction, Eiffel arranged for an additional crane to be installed on the first-level platform. By July 1888 the tower had reached the height of 380 feet.[5] Finally, by the end of March 1889, Eiffel’s incredible vision had been completed, standing tall at 986 feet.[6] With its construction the Eiffel Tower had not only enhanced Eiffel’s reputation, but it also altered the development of technology, engineering, construction, and architecture. Changing the way that people thought about construction, Eiffel’s original idea was to embrace the aesthetic that came from sound structure. On May 6, 1889, the Paris Centennial Exposition officially opened to the public. Not long after the exposition opened to the public, some five hundred thousand people crowded through the numerous entrances to gain an up close view Eiffel’s revolutionary tower. Without a doubt, the tower was an immediate sensation.

No one was prepared for the ecstatic response, except perhaps Eiffel himself, who had believed from the beginning that his tower would be a spectacular sight. Originally, Eiffel had planned for the tower to accommodate 10,000 visitors at once. However, estimates suggest that on average 11,000 people visited the tower daily, and the single largest turnout in June was when some 23,000 people visited the tower. So many people came to see his creation that Eiffel laconically stated, "I ought to be jealous of the tower, it is much more famous than I am."[7] Eiffel was certainly correct about the fame that his tower had gained. With the tower as a prominent modern structure in the lives of all Parisians, the tower now forced Parisians to start viewing themselves as modern. Modernity was slowly growing at the time of the exposition, most artists and architects were aware of it, however, the public was shaded from the fact that most aspects in life were changing around them. With the Eiffel Tower (an immense structure symbolizing growth in architectural ideals and industry) being exposed to the public, all these new ideals were forced upon them.

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The Eiffel Tower
Architectural Rivalry
Impressionism
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Modern Technology & Industry
Charles Garnier
L'Ecole Des Beaux-Arts
Definition: Modernity

[1] Gustave Eiffel quoted in Meg Greene. The Eiffel Tower. (California: Lucent Books Inc., 2001) pp. 25.
[2] Gustave Eiffel quoted in Meg Greene. The Eiffel Tower. (California: Lucent Books Inc., 2001) pp. 49.
[3] Meg Greene. The Eiffel Tower. (California: Lucent Books Inc., 2001).
[4] ibid
[5] Meg Greene. The Eiffel Tower. (California: Lucent Books Inc., 2001).
[6] ibid
[7] Gustave Eiffel quoted in Meg Greene. The Eiffel Tower. (California: Lucent Books Inc., 2001) pp. 72.