The Eiffel Tower, first opened to the public on 6 May 1889, is actually painted in three different shades of colour (Eiffel Tower Brown); the darkest shade begins at the base, lightening progressively upto the top, to show off the Tower to maximum advantage against the Parisian skies. The tower is covered with 60 tons of paint every seven years to protect against corrosion.
Its color has varied over the years, from reddish-brown (1889) to ochre-brown (1892), a variation of 5 shades of yellow over its total height (1899), yellow-brown (1907 to 1947), reddish-brown (1954-1961) and since 1968, an “Eiffel Tower brown” of three different tones.
It’s thought that Eiffel chose the colour because he wanted the 324-metre-high tower to reflect the yellowish limestone architecture of the city around it. (But of course, the nod to Olympic gold medals is a nice touch too.)
The work, which began in 2019, is expected to cost a whopping €50 million ($60 million or £44 million) overall. The paint job will be complete by 2022 – well in time for the 2024 Games – and an extensive renovation of the park just to the south is set to follow.
The tower will serve as the backdrop for the triathlon and open-water swimming events in the Seine. The surrounding quais are also expected to play host to a series of shows, concerts and other entertainment.
Credit: Time Out
Picture Credit : Google
