Paris is the city famous for the Eiffel Tower, which was completed for the 1889 Exposition Universelle. The tower was built on the Champ de Mars beside the Seine River to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution and to demonstrate the possibilities of modern iron construction.
Engineer Gustave Eiffel’s company designed and constructed the structure, working from plans associated with engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier and architect Stephen Sauvestre. Construction began in 1887 and finished in 1889. At 300 metres when completed, it became the world’s tallest man-made structure, surpassing the Washington Monument.
Many artists initially criticised the tower’s appearance, and its permit was originally temporary. It survived partly because its height made it useful for radio transmission. The Eiffel Tower has been modified repeatedly, including the addition of broadcasting equipment, and it remains one of Paris’s most visited landmarks. Its height changes slightly with temperature because iron expands and contracts.