World Art Utopia

Eiffel Tower — Gustave Eiffel, Paris

A hand in the foreground appears to pinch the tip of the Eiffel Tower between finger and thumb against a sky full of white clouds
Artwork FileParis, France

Eiffel Tower

SeenSep 2023

Gustave Eiffel · Champ-de-Mars, Paris · 1887–1889

Photo: Vincent Lock / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0), as published on Street Art Utopia.

The Eiffel Tower stands on the Champ-de-Mars in Paris and was built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle. Its operator says engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier conceived the idea, and architect Stephen Sauvestre worked on its appearance; works started on 26 January 1887 and the top was completed on 31 March 1889. France’s heritage database names Gustave Eiffel as maître de l’oeuvre, and France listed it as a historic monument in 1964. Source Source Reported

Seen September 2023: the tower photographed from beside it · Wikimedia Commons. Source Checked

More photos

The Eiffel Tower in Paris seen from close beside it, looking up at the iron arches, 2023
2023 The tower from beside its basePhoto: APK / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

💡 4 things to know

  1. Built for a world’s fair
    The tower was built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle and received two million visitors during the fair, according to its operator. Source Reported
  2. An engineers’ idea
    According to the operator, Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, “both engineers”, conceived it and architect Stephen Sauvestre worked on its look; Mérimée lists Gustave Eiffel as maître de l’oeuvre. Source Source Reported
  3. Meant to last 20 years
    The operator says the tower was “only intended to last 20 years” and was saved by the scientific experiments Eiffel encouraged, in particular the first radio transmissions. Source Reported
  4. Listed in 1964
    France’s Mérimée heritage database records its listing as a historic monument by decree of 24 June 1964. Source Checked

📍 Where it is

Champ-de-Mars, 7th arrondissement, Paris. Source Checked

Open in Maps

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 188931 Mar

    Top and assembly completed · official site

  2. 196424 Jun

    Listed as a historic monument · Mérimée

  3. 20083 Jul

    A visitor “pinches” the top · Commons

  4. 202311 Sep

    The tower from beside it · Commons

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.

✅ The facts

Place
Champ-de-Mars, Paris 7e Source Checked
Built by
Gustave Eiffel, maître de l’oeuvre Source Checked
Design
Engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier; architect Stephen Sauvestre Source Reported
Construction
26 January 1887 to 31 March 1889 (operator); Mérimée gives 1888 and 1889 Source Source Conflicting
Built for
The 1889 Exposition Universelle Source Reported
Material
7,300 tonnes of iron; total weight 10,100 tons Source Source Reported
Height
1,083 feet today; 1,024 feet originally, without antennas, according to the operator Source Reported
Protection
Inscribed as a historic monument, 24 June 1964 Source Checked
Visitors
Almost 7 million a year, according to the operator Source Reported

🔗 Related

All sources & image credits

Last checked: 10 November 2026. How we verify art