Consider the Eiffel Tower as the least loved building ever constructed in Paris. Before becoming an iconic landmark for Parisians, artists, architects, writers, and journalists had nothing but criticism of it, as they believed that its huge iron framework would dominate the Parisian skyline and hurt their architectural pride.
It took two years, two months, and five days to construct the Eiffel Tower, starting in January 1887 and ending in March 1889. Initially, it was supposed to stay there for only 20 years. Its planned height was one of the main reasons for fear. Being 312 meters in height, it was the tallest building in the world back then. Now, its height is 330 meters due to the addition of an antenna. The building covers an area of 125 meters in width and includes over 18,000 pieces of iron.
Indeed, there were even questions from some architects regarding the construction of such a massive building. La Construction Moderne was one of those magazines that expressed reservations about the feasibility of the project in terms of elevators.
Even more overt opposition emerged in February 1889, when the newspaper Le Temps published the petition Protest of the Artists Against the Tower of M. Eiffel on the cover of its front page. The petition was signed by many notable people such as Guy de Maupassant, Alexandre Dumas fils, François Coppée, William Bouguereau, and Charles Garnier.
The Eiffel Tower was criticized for being an 'iron monster,' a 'tragic giant lamppost,' and a 'watchtower skeleton.' Gustave Eiffel dismissed these claims. He supported not only the strength but also the beauty of the building and emphasised its importance in relation to the Pyramids of Egypt.
However, the Eiffel Tower disproved its detractors quite soon due to its success. The elevator began to operate only on May 26, 1889, eleven days after the inauguration of the tower for the Universal Exhibition. Nevertheless, during the first week, more than 30,000 people climbed up more than 1,700 stairs. Restaurants were located on the first floor, and the printing press that printed special editions of Le Figaro was placed on the second floor.
Not everybody had second thoughts, though. However, the Eiffel Tower had a real practical use besides being a tourist attraction. Gustave Eiffel would turn it into a big radio antenna and conduct his technical experiments using it. These uses helped the tower survive demolition upon expiry of the 20-year lease in 1910. The tower would play a significant role in the First World War and continued serving as an antenna for many years.
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