Gustave Eiffel: The Engineer Behind the Iconic Tower

Alexandre Gustave Bönickhausen, known as Gustave Eiffel (1832–1923), was an influential French engineer celebrated for his contributions to bridges, monuments, and railway stations. He began his education at multiple institutions and gained experience under Charles Nepveu and the Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Ouest. His first significant achievement was the Saint-Jean railway bridge in 1858. In 1867, he established Maison G. Eiffel in Levallois-Perret. Among his prominent creations are the Garabit viaduct (1880–84), the Maria Pia Bridge (1877), and the viaducts of Neuvial and Rouzat. He also designed the internal structure of the Statue of Liberty and was acquitted in the Panama Canal scandal in 1893. The Eiffel Tower, his most renowned project, was finished for the 1889 Exposition Universelle. An exhibition at the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine in Paris will continue until January 9, 2024, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his passing on December 27, 1923.