The Eiffel Tower originated when a competition was launched in anticipation for the 1889 Universal Exhibition, held in Paris. Édouard Lockroy, a French politician, solicited the possibility of building a 300-meter (285-feet) high tower on the Champ de Mars for the festivities. Faced with 107 competing projects, Gustave Eiffel won with his concept of a tower made from puddled iron, largely inspired by the viaducts that his company used to erect. Thus, ratified by Eugène Poubelle on January 8, 1887, the “300-meter tower,” more commonly known as the Eiffel Tower, began its construction. Since then, it’s gone through its fair share of changes. Below, AD looks back at some of the major milestones and transformations of the most recognizable tower in the world.
1888: Construction is stalled
On April 1, 1888, the first platform of the tower was laid. Planned to be completed in 12 months, the delays and complexities of construction accumulated, postponing its inauguration for another year.
1889: The tower is completed
Once completed, the tower became the gateway to the 1889 World’s Fair. It attracted nearly 2 million visitors and was the tallest building in the world at the time. For many, it offered the first aerial view of Paris. The top hid Gustave Eiffel's office, in which he welcomed personalities throughout the 6-month event.
1900: A project is aborted, though structural changes persist
Losing momentum despite its restaurants and activities, a renovation project for the Eiffel Tower was launched. Unsurprisingly, a competition was held to re-imagine and revitalize it for the 1900 World's Fair. This project by Stephen Sauvestre sought to give it a more modern appearance with more space. Though this variation was ultimately abandoned, it would not prevent Eiffel from updating certain elements of the tower. The size of the floors was increased, the elevators were modified to double their capacity, and the lighting was changed from gas to a completely electric installation.
1925: The tower lights up
The electrical engineer Fernand Jacopozzi, famous for creating a "false Paris" made entirely of light to divert attention from enemy bombing in World War I, was looking for great projects to light up Paris. He decided to focus on the Eiffel Tower and, faced with the high cost of such lighting, he managed to have it financed by Citroen who agreed to pay for it in exchange for turning the tower into, essentially, a large billboard. This helped carry out a huge publicity campaign for the company, which then became the first great illumination of the tower in 1925 and was repeated every year until 1935.
1935: A tower at the top of communication
Thanks to its transmitter, one of the most powerful in the world, the tower began broadcasting animated images in 1935. In 1940, when the German army was ordered to dismantle the Eiffel Tower to use its materials for other purposes, Kurt Hinzmann, in charge of propaganda in Paris, defended it, advocating the use of the tower as a means of communication. Paris, defended the tower and recommended modernizing its antenna system to broadcast German programs to wounded soldiers stranded in France. Now equipped with a state-of-the-art model that could reach the whole of the Ile de France, all the equipment was left as it was at the time of the liberation. The ORTF (French Radio and Television Office) took over the equipment and opened studios on top of the Eiffel Tower in the early 1950s.
1989: A ball is thrown
For its 100th anniversary, a huge ball was organized on June 17, 1989, where artists such as Charles Trenet, Julio Iglesias, Charles Aznavour and Johnny Hallyday performed in front of distinguished guests such as Kenzo Takada. The key word was excess, apparent from the fireworks fired from 375 different points. At this point, the tower had a completely new lighting scheme highlighting its silhouette, and luminous lines ran along the entire edge of the structure, further defining its presence in the Parisian sky.
1997: Countdown to the year 2000
Starting in April 1997, a countdown on a screen was displayed on the tower, preparing for the arrival of the year 2000. This countdown was synchronized with 20,000 light bulbs and a pyrotechnic game to celebrate the new millennium. This is also when the the luminous beacon started twinkling, which is now a common occurrence, and happens every night until 1 a.m.
2018: An alliance is remembered
Motoko Ishii, a lighting designer who worked on the lighting of the 1975 Osaka World Expo, imagined an innovative light show for the Eiffel Tower with the help of Akari-Lisa Ishii. Celebrating 160 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and France, “Japonismes” offered a sound and light show in 2018. For the first time, the monument displayed the colors of Japan through a video projection.
2020: A fabric to match
To symbolize the transfer of the Olympic Games between Tokyo and Paris, a huge, 62430-square-foot flag was suspended from the tower, which acted like a flagpole. A wind tunnel was even installed to make the flag float in case there wasn't a natural gust. Unfortunately, though due to be hung on August 8, 2020, the plan was ultimately abandoned because there was too much wind. However, some rare pictures testify the event occurred two months earlier when a test flag was hung for a few minutes, displaying symbols instead of the logo of the Olympic Games of Paris.
2021: The symbol of union
The European flag was first displayed in 2008 and was reinstalled from December 31, 2021 to January 31, 2022 to celebrate France's presidency of the Council of the European Union. In addition to the blue lighting, 12 stars shone from the facade for the occasion.
Whether it is through lighting, projections, modifications to the platforms, or changes in the internal workings, the Eiffel Tower does not fail to transform and evolve over time. Although it seems to be of a projection of firm stoicism, this does not prevent it from participating in every festivity, and ultimately, entering the heart's Parisians and visitors alike.
