The Monument that Stands Tall - Essay Example

The paper " The Monument that Stands Tall" is a worthy example of an essay on architecture. In Champ de Mars, which is one of the poshest areas of Paris, one can see the famous Eiffel Tower standing proudly and pleasingly. Today, although it is no longer the tallest structure of the world as it used to be until the 1930s, it continues to stand tall in its elegance. The tower was erected in 1889, to be used as the entrance arch for the 1889 Exposition Universelle. This magnificent tower has a height of 324 meters. There are three levels which have been allowed for visitor access. The first two levels are restaurants that are situated near the base and arches of the tower. A visitor can have a taste of elegant French cuisine in these restaurants. The third level of visitor access is situated at 276 meters above the ground level. It is the upper platform of the tower’s observatory. From here, the visitor can have a great view of the big city of Paris. The visitor might be thrilled to listen to the faint sounds of traffic and winds emerging from the cityscape. The monument has survived two World Wars, and that is how it continues to stand tall with a comprehensive perspective of Parisian engineering and liveliness. There are four main slanting pillars (or legs) of the tower which form the base of the tower. The four pillars are arranged at the vertices of a big square field, which can be thought of as the ground-based platform of the structure. Below these four legs, there are four arches that depict structures like grand entrance gates. Each of the four legs, along with their outer edges, is designed with the help of metallic bars and rods, which zigzag each other in a magnificent fashion. Millions of rivets have been used to join together the metallic parts of the huge structure that join together and start tapering upwards as if to touch the sky. The tower has been overwhelmingly constructed with the help of wrought iron, a fact that an observer can easily understand by looking at it in the daytime. The Eiffel Tower is a world-famous engineering marvel. According to the official website of the tower, it is the most famous monument in France. And of course, it symbolizes how humans have loved to conquer the heights.