Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is a famous lattice tower in Paris, France. It stands on the Champ de Mars. The tower was built between 1887 and 1889 for the 1889 World's Fair. This fair celebrated the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.

At first, some artists and writers did not like its look. But later, the Eiffel Tower became a well-known symbol of France and one of the most famous buildings in the world. It is 330 meters (1,083 feet) tall. It was the tallest human-made structure until the Chrysler Building in New York City was built in 1930.

Today, the Eiffel Tower is the most visited paid monument in the world. Many people go up to its three levels each year. The top level has the highest public observation deck in the European Union. The tower also has restaurants and a private apartment that once belonged to Gustave Eiffel.

History

First drawing of the Eiffel Tower by Maurice Koechlin including size comparison with other Parisian landmarks such as Notre Dame de Paris, the Statue of Liberty, and the Vendôme Column

The Eiffel Tower was designed by engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier who worked for the Compagnie des Établissements Eiffel. They created the idea for the tower as a centerpiece for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, a world's fair celebrating the French Revolution. The design was shown and gained support, so construction began in 1887.

Building the tower needed careful planning and teamwork. Some artists first protested the design, but many later liked it. The tower opened to the public in 1889 and became very popular right away. Over time, it has helped with communications and timekeeping, and it remains one of the world’s most famous landmarks.

Design

The Eiffel Tower is made from a special kind of iron. It has three main floors. The first floor has a restaurant. The second floor has another restaurant named after the writer Jules Verne. The top floor offers great views of Paris.

The tower is painted in different shades to match the Paris sky. It needs a lot of paint every seven years to keep it looking good.

Communications

The Eiffel Tower has been used for radio since the early 1900s. Wires were first placed around the tower, but a permanent underground radio centre was built later. In 1913, the tower helped scientists measure the distance between Paris and Washington, D.C., by sending and receiving wireless signals.

Today, the Eiffel Tower sends out radio and digital television signals. A television antenna was added in 1957 and made taller in 2000. Analogue television signals stopped being broadcast from the tower in 2011.

Frequency	kW	Service
87.8 MHz	10	France Inter
89.0 MHz	10	RFI Paris
89.9 MHz	6	TSF Jazz
90.4 MHz	10	Nostalgie
90.9 MHz	4	Chante France

Frequency	VHF	UHF	kW	Service
182.25 MHz	6	—N/a	100	Canal+
479.25 MHz	—N/a	22	500	France 2
503.25 MHz	—N/a	25	500	TF1
527.25 MHz	—N/a	28	500	France 3
543.25 MHz	—N/a	30	100	France 5
567.25 MHz	—N/a	33	100	M6

Dimensions

The Eiffel Tower has changed height a few times. It was built to be very tall, and later things like antennas made it even taller. From the top, you can see great views of Paris and the areas around it.

!Panorama of Paris and its suburbs from the top of the Eiffel Tower

From	To	Height (m)	Height (ft)	Type of addition	Remarks
1889	1956	312.27	1,025	Flagpole	Architectural height of 300 m (980 ft) Tallest freestanding structure in the world until surpassed by the Chrysler Building in 1930. Tallest tower in the world until surpassed by the KCTV Broadcast Tower in 1956.
1957	1991	320.75	1,052	Antenna	Broadcast antenna added in 1957 which made it the tallest tower in the world until the Tokyo Tower was completed the following year in 1958.
1991	1994	317.96	1,043	Antenna change
1994	2000	318.7	1,046	Antenna change
2000	2022	324	1,063	Antenna change
2022	Current	330	1,083	Antenna change	Digital radio antenna hoisted on March 15, 2022.

Taller structures

The Eiffel Tower was the world's tallest structure when it was finished in 1889. It kept this record until 1929, when the Chrysler Building in New York City was built. Even though the Tokyo Tower became taller in 1958, the Eiffel Tower is still the tallest freestanding structure in France.

Main articles: List of tallest towers in the world, Lattice tower, and Observation deck

Further information: List of tallest structures in France

Name	Pinnacle height	Year	Country	Town
Tokyo Skytree	634 m (2,080 ft)	2011	Japan	Tokyo
Kyiv TV Tower	385 m (1,263 ft)	1973	Ukraine	Kyiv
Dragon Tower	336 m (1,102 ft)	2000	China	Harbin
Tokyo Tower	333 m (1,093 ft)	1958	Japan	Tokyo
WITI TV Tower	329.4 m (1,081 ft)	1962	United States	Shorewood, Wisconsin
St. Petersburg TV Tower	326 m (1,070 ft)	1962	Russia	Saint Petersburg

Name	Pinnacle height	Year	Structure type	Town	Remarks
Longwave transmitter Allouis	350 m (1,150 ft)	1974	Guyed mast	Allouis
HWU transmitter	350 m (1,150 ft)	1971	Guyed mast	Rosnay	Military VLF transmitter; multiple masts
Viaduc de Millau	343 m (1,125 ft)	2004	Bridge pillar	Millau
TV Mast Niort-Maisonnay	330 m (1,080 ft)	1978	Guyed mast	Niort
Transmitter Le Mans-Mayet	342 m (1,122 ft)	1993	Guyed mast	Mayet
La Regine transmitter	330 m (1,080 ft)	1973	Guyed mast	Saissac	Military VLF transmitter
Transmitter Roumoules	330 m (1,080 ft)	1974	Guyed mast	Roumoules	Spare transmission mast for longwave; insulated against ground

Tourism

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most popular places to visit in the world. It opened in 1889 and many people have gone there to see it.

The closest train station is Bir-Hakeim, and the tower is near the Pont d'Iéna. Many people visit the tower each day. It is the most-visited paid monument in the world.

Illumination copyright

Further information: Freedom of panorama § France

The Eiffel Tower and its image have been in the public domain since 1993. In 1990, a French court decided that a special lighting show for the tower’s 100th anniversary was a unique artwork protected by copyright. The Court of Cassation, France’s highest court, agreed with this in 1992. Because of this, the company that runs the tower treats lighting displays as special artworks protected by copyright.

Because of these rules, taking and sharing photos of the lit tower at night for business uses, like in magazines or on products, often needs permission. However, if the tower is only partly in a photo of Paris, it may not need permission. The special lighting design from 1989 will stay protected until 2091.

Replicas

Main article: List of Eiffel Tower replicas

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous landmarks in the world. Many places have built copies of it. For example, Blackpool Tower in England was built after someone saw the Eiffel Tower. Tokyo Tower in Japan, built in 1958, was also inspired by it, as was the Petřín Lookout Tower in Prague.

There are smaller versions of the Eiffel Tower in many places, such as Paris Las Vegas in Nevada and amusement parks like Kings Island in Cincinnati, Ohio and Kings Dominion in Richmond, Virginia. There are also replicas in China, Mexico, and across Europe.