Gustave Eiffel

For Discussion, I have selected Gustave Eiffel, a renowned French architect and engineer most famous for designing the Eiffel Tower, one of the world’s most iconic structures.

Gustave Eiffel was born in Dijon, France, on December 15, 1832. He studied engineering at the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris and worked on various engineering projects worldwide. In 1884, he was approached by the French government to design a centerpiece for the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) in Paris. Eiffel submitted a design for a 984-foot (300-meter) tower made of wrought iron that would become his most famous work.

The construction of the Eiffel Tower began in 1887 and was completed in 1889 in time for the World’s Fair. The tower was initially met with mixed reactions from the public, but it has since become an iconic symbol of France and a beloved tourist attraction.

In addition to the Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel was involved in many other engineering and architectural projects. He designed the framework for the Statue of Liberty in New York and the Garabit Viaduct, a bridge in central France considered a marvel of engineering at its construction.

Gustave Eiffel was not only a talented engineer and architect, but he was also a pioneer in meteorology. He developed the Eiffel Tower as a platform for scientific research and conducted experiments on aerodynamics and atmospheric pressure.

Gustave Eiffel died on December 27, 1923, in Paris, France. Today, his legacy lives on through his contributions to engineering and architecture, mainly through the enduring legacy of the Eiffel Tower.