It is one of the most beloved structures in the world and it will be celebrating a birthday with much fanfare.

The Eiffel Tower will be 120 years old in 2009 and, at the time of it’s construction, was briefly one of the largest structures in the world.

Serero Architects have won an open competition to add a public reception and access area to the top level of the Eiffel Tower. The Kevlar addition will allow visitors to see Paris at a ” … 360 degree angle.” The addition will change the Tower’s aesthetic appearance and give visitors more room to explore the city with a bird’s eye view.

The tower, built on the Champ de Mars beside the Seine river, has been through two wars, lightening strikes, fires and even has been sold as scrap metal by a con artist. Here’s a fun fact for you: It is said when the Nazis occupied Paris, that the French cut the cables so Hitler could not use the lift and would have to climb the steps to the top of the historic structure.

He declined to do it. It is commonly said in France that ” … Hitler conquered France but he could not conquer the Eiffel Tower.” During the occupation, he ordered the structure to be torn down, but his orders were not followed.

Happy birthday to a historic structure with an illustrious past.

Tags: Eiffel Tower, Serero Architects

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