The Eiffel Tower stands 330 metres tall today, but it was originally built without antennas to reach 312 metres. Completed for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, it was meant to stand for just 20 years. Precise prefabrication, a feat of riveting, and later scientific and communications uses helped turn the temporary landmark into a permanent one. Here are 23 facts that explain how it was designed, built, opened, and saved.
Why was the Eiffel Tower built?
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It was the centrepiece of a world’s fair
The Tower was built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, held to mark the centenary of the French Revolution. It was conceived as a striking demonstration of modern engineering. (Eiffel Tower official key figures; official history)
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The winning design was chosen from 107 proposals
The project was selected from 107 entries. The official history credits entrepreneur Gustave Eiffel, engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre. The familiar name belongs to Eiffel, but the design was a team effort.
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It was intended to last 20 years
The Tower was originally a temporary structure, with a planned life of 20 years. Its usefulness for scientific experiments and communications helped persuade authorities to keep it.
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It found a purpose in radio
The official history of the Tower’s survival points to a radio signal in 1898, a military radio post established in 1903, and a public radio broadcast in 1925. These uses made the structure valuable beyond its original role as an Exposition landmark. (Eiffel Tower official key figures)
How tall is the Eiffel Tower, and how was it built?
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Its present height is 330 metres
The Tower’s official current height is 330 metres (1,083 feet). The figure includes its antenna; the height of the original structure without antennas was 312 metres (1,024 feet). The two numbers describe different configurations, not a measurement error. (official key figures)
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The summit height has changed with its antennas
Antennas have raised the Tower’s measured height over time. On 15 March 2022, a DAB+ antenna installed by helicopter brought it to 330 metres. (official height timeline)
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Construction lasted two years, two months, and five days
Work began on 26 January 1887, and the Tower was completed on 31 March 1889. The official construction account gives the total duration as two years, two months, and five days. (official history)
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Thousands of parts were prepared before they reached the site
The structure is made from 18,038 iron parts. They were prepared at Eiffel’s factory in Levallois-Perret, then assembled on site. The official account says each piece was designed and calculated to a precision of a tenth of a millimetre. (official key figures; official history)
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The project required 5,300 workshop drawings
The Tower’s official construction history counts 5,300 drawings produced in the workshop. They supported the detailed planning needed to manufacture and fit the structure’s many components. (official history)
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Fifty engineers and designers worked on the plans
The official history records 50 engineers and designers involved in the project. Their calculations and drawings translated the design into parts that could be made and assembled accurately.
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Between 150 and 300 workers were on the construction site
The workforce at the site varied during construction; the official account gives a range of 150 to 300 workers. This is the recorded on-site workforce, not a count of every person involved in factory preparation. (official history)
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It contains 2.5 million rivets
The official figure is 2.5 million rivets. They joined the iron components into the Tower’s frame. (official key figures)
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Rivets were heated and fitted by a four-person team
During assembly, temporary bolts were used first and then replaced one by one with hot rivets. The official account describes a four-person team: one worker heated the rivet, one held it in place, one shaped its head, and one hammered it. (official history)
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The metal frame weighs 7,300 tonnes
The Tower’s iron frame weighs 7,300 tonnes. That is the frame alone; the official total weight for the structure is 10,100 tonnes. (official key figures)
When did the Eiffel Tower open?
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It was inaugurated before it opened to the public
The Tower was inaugurated on 31 March 1889, but the public opening came later, on 15 May. It was still being finished at the time of the inauguration. (official opening history)
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The elevators were not ready for opening day
The hydraulic elevators entered service in June 1889, after the Tower had opened to visitors. The earliest visitors therefore had to climb the stairs. (official opening history)
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The original stair route involved 740 steps to the second floor
The historical account lists 360 steps from ground level to the first floor and a further 380 to the second. These are the stair counts recorded for the Tower’s opening period, not a description of today’s visitor route. (official opening history)
What else is surprising about the Tower?
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Its first coat of paint was Venetian red
Before assembly, the iron received an anti-rust coat described by the official history as Venetian red. The Tower has since had seven official colors. (official opening history)
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It was painted before assembly
The first anti-rust coating was applied to the iron pieces before they were put together. Preparing and coating components ahead of construction formed part of the factory-to-site process. (official opening history)
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The Tower is both a landmark and a communications structure
Its radio history is not just a story about escaping demolition: communications became a continuing practical use for the Tower. The official timeline of height changes also records the 2022 DAB+ antenna installation. (official key figures; official height timeline)
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Nearly seven million people visit in a typical year, by the official site’s estimate
The Tower’s official key-figures page reports nearly seven million visitors a year, around 75% from outside France. It presents these as rounded institutional figures without specifying a particular statistical year. (official key figures)
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Its history is still tied to changing technology
The Tower’s height reached 330 metres with the installation of a DAB+ antenna in 2022, more than a century after radio uses helped establish its value. Its story is not only about an 1889 engineering achievement: its summit and function have continued to evolve. (official height timeline)
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