Does The Eiffel Tower Grow In Height?

If you are questioning, does the Eiffel Tower grow? The answer is yes, it does. One of the main reasons the structure’s height grows is the television and radio antennas. Yet, there is another reason for a height change in summer and winter. Let’s read more!

The Eiffel Tower was inaugurated during the Paris World’s Fair on 31 March 1889. Originally the building was called “The 300-meter Tower” and had a height of 312 meters. During the inauguration, the building was the tallest in the world.

However, after 1931 the Empire State Building took away the title of the tallest building in the world at 381 meters. Over the years, there have been many tall buildings around the globe; Burj Khalifa currently holds the title of the tallest building in the world.

The height of the Eiffel Tower is currently at an altitude of 330 meters, including antennas. The antennas were added on the summit of the Eiffel Tower in 1957, 2000, and 2022. These antennas help in the broadcasting of television and radio.

The puddled iron is a metal used in the Eiffel Tower, which metamorphism according to temperature variation. The metal has been used to build the tower, which is a good conductor for heat transmission. So to answer the question, does the Eiffel Tower grow? Yes, it does!

It enables the heat to pass through the structure, further heating it and leading to 18 cm of expansion. It also contracts once when the temperature falls. Therefore, during Winter, the structure goes through another transmission.

The structure is currently of the bronzed tan; however, it was sometimes the same color. The structure has been repainted 19 times, once every seven years. The different colors used to paint the structure were chestnut brown, yellow-ochre, and red-brown, which have worn over the years.

The structure has been designed for visitors and guests. It also boasts of mannequins recreated as Eiffel and the guests in an apartment in the tower.

The Height Of The Eiffel Tower Height In Summer

During the summer, the temperature rises, when the Eiffel Tower gets taller in the summer. It is a scientific process called thermal expansion, where a few centimeters of the structure increases. The summer temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius, making the base expand.

The sun hits only one side of the tower, increasing its volume. While the 3 sides of the building do not get any heat leading to the tower tilting away from the sun, creating an imbalance on the three sides. The tower can tilt up to 7 inches.

Therefore, based on the sun’s movement, the top of the Eiffel Tower moves accordingly in a circular curve. The structure’s diameter can change to 15 centimeters due to the temperature rise. The Eiffel Tower grows in height with higher temperatures.

The Height Of The Eiffel Tower Height In Winter

During the Winter, the Eiffel Tower shrinks because puddled iron as a metal contracts with a fall in the temperature. Due to the fall in the temperature, the Eiffel Tower gets smaller in the winter, up to 6 inches.

The contraction of the building is temporary as with the increase in the temperature, the building grows in size. The decrease in the size of the building in Winter influences the overall shape of the building.

The building’s design and structure have been created in such a way that it stands the testament of time. At times, with the extremity of the wind, the tower sways to the wind up to 7 cm to the sides. The molecules in the metal move along with the increase or fall of temperature, which changes the structure over the years.

Was The Eiffel Tower Supposed To Be In Barcelona?

The Eiffel Tower was supposed to be in Barcelona. The Eiffel Tower was originally a plan that was pitched to the city of Barcelona, Spain. However, according to the city’s authorities, it would become an unyielding eyesore; therefore, Barcelona rejected it.

At that moment, Paris was organizing the 1889 World’s Fair and wanted a 300-meter tall archway. It was to commemorate the French Revolution for its 100th anniversary. There were more than 100 competing submissions for the design of the entrance.

In this competition, Eiffel and Co. were selected, leading to the construction of the building on 28 January 1887. Even the Statue of Liberty was designed by Eiffel; therefore, the Eiffel Tower and the Lady Liberty are connected through their construction.

Other Interesting Facts About Eiffel Tower

There is no chance of the Eiffel Tower turning green like the Statue of Liberty due to the constant painting of the structure. It is due to the oxidizing of the metal, leading to the structure turning green. Therefore, the paint job must be more meticulous.
There is a small apartment built with wooden furniture, lab equipment, and a grand piano on the tower’s third level. Eiffel designed the apartment at 1000 feet of the building, where notable people such as Thomas Edison were hosted by Eiffel.
The structure was initially considered a temporary structure planned to be dismantled 20 years after the Paris World’s Fair. However, it was saved by the authority of the city.
World War I was closing in, and tension mounted across the world. The city officials realized that the Eiffel Tower would be efficient for radiotelegraph transmission. It was ultimately a significant wireless resource as it was used to jam the communications of the Germans. The Allies benefited from the tower during WWI.
Adolf Hitler ordered Dietrich von Choltitz to raze the Eiffel Tower and the rest of the city. However, Choltitz disobeyed the order. In August 1944, the Allies were working hard to free Paris, which led to success.
You cannot post lit pictures of the Eiffel Tower without the permission of France. It became difficult after 1989 when the French court ruled that projected displays from the tower must be protected based on copyright issues.