Reaching for Parisian skies

The year 1889 was remarkable. The Coca Cola Company was incorporated. Chicago introduced the world to the automatic dishwashing machine. Kodak put out the first camera for sale. Inventor Thomas Edison screened the first movie. Van Gogh painted Starry Night. Charles Chaplin was born. A lady reporter, Nellie Bly, circled the world in 72 days, eclipsing Jules Verne’s imaginary 80 days journey.

In a year of such ‘firsts’ and exciting happenings, the tallest man-made structure in the world pierced the Parisian sky. The arty iron works marked the site of the grand 1889 International Expo, an event celebrating the Centennial of the Revolution of 1789. It was at once a thing of ‘ingenuity, progress and beauty’ that silenced its critics and garnered wide public attention. In a very short time, it became one of the world’s most visited structures, finding its way into school text books, design and architecture journals, world cinema, popular culture and became synonymous with the French capital.

Parisians get fleeting glimpses of it from practically all parts of the city. A more complete and gorgeous view of it can be had from vantage points such as the top of the Arc de Triomphe or Montparnasse or the Place de la Concord. Then again, those alighting from the Ecole-Militaire Station, and footing it past ‘Papa’ Joffre’s elegant equestrian statue opposite the famed military academy, and on the grassy expanse of the Champ-de-Mars, get expanding views of it until it explodes in the face — so enormous is the art work up-close.

Invariably, this prompts people to take a closer look. For that, they stand in long lines at the legs of the structure — first to get tickets, next to catch the lift — even though it soon becomes apparent that the famous landmark is better experienced from a distance, than when on it. Interestingly, the old military ground on which the Eiffel Tower is located has a long and exciting history. Here in 1783, the first hot-air balloons rose into the sky. Man was doing the impossible — lifting off terra firma to be up in the skies, one with the birds.

Time of inventions

A young Jules Verne (1825-1908), observing the fascinating, colourful devices, captured the excitement on paper. Extended air travel was possible. Maybe even across the seas, across the globe. And that thought got Verne to pen Around the World in 80 Days, one of the most celebrated travel-adventure stories of all time.

To mark the Exposition Universelle, Paris 1889, and ‘the triumph of modernity on the verge of the 20th century’, the organisers invited design suggestions from the public for erecting a temporary icon ‘with a base of 125 metres square and 300 metres high’. The response was overwhelming. All manner of designs came in, from chic ultra-modern to the weird. Perhaps the most bizarre entry was a model of Dr Guillotin’s horrific invention from the Reign of Terror.

Eventually, a rather unconventional drawing submitted by a railroad engineer-architect, Gustave Eiffel (Dec 15, 1832- Dec 23, 1923) titled Tour en Fer de Trois Cent Mètres won the day. It was for ‘the world’s tallest man-made structure’, and to be made entirely of open, interlacing ‘puddle iron’ bars, girders, sheets, semi-circular arches and rivets – all tapering inwards to form a single gigantic vertical tower. Before he got the tender, Eiffel worked hard behind-the-scenes to get the government’s interest with presentations, previews, miniatures, mechanical drawings and so on. The officials were suitably impressed by the concept, and favoured Eiffel even before the tender was announced! The project envisaged using off-site small, pre-fabricated components for assembly, essentially by riveting. But even before the project got off the ground, there was much public outcry. Residents feared that ‘the tower might topple over or attract lightning’. Some said it was a hideous blot on the cityscape. Many feared weather conditions would be affected because of its erection.

Landmark made

As these matters were being tackled, a serious cash crunch hit the project. That didn’t deter Eiffel. The millionaire pumped in money from his savings. The organisers planned to recover costs by leasing space on the tower’s first and second levels to restaurants, shops, post and telegraph office, and such commercial enterprises.

When the project was completed, it pleasantly surprised the citizens and silenced critics. The unusual but interesting structure was finished well within budget and five weeks ahead of the scheduled opening of the Exposition. The tapering giant shot into the French sky and captured the world’s imagination.

The Eiffel Tower is one of the ‘1,000 Places to See Before you Die’. The changes over the years include the whole structure getting illuminated in summer from sunset to past midnight, light beams flashing from the top, and on the hour, glimmering lights coming on for a few seconds.
Large double-decker glass-cased elevators whisk visitors to various levels of the tower. Each time, whether it is day or evening, there are remarkable views of the well-laid out city, the Seine, the gardens. On the second floor is the legendary Le Jules Verne restaurant by celebrity chef, Alain Ducasse. Stylish hostesses greet diners and lead them to pre-booked tables. Inside, the décor and atmosphere is chic. Chocolate brown interiors, subdued lighting, exquisite minimalist furniture, all planned so diners are not ‘far removed from the elegance of city lights’. When toasts are raised there, invariably people hear tributes to the genius who made it all possible.