An iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the Seine River in Paris, a global icon of France; one of the most recognizable structures in the world
a 300 metre-high metal tower in Paris, completed in 1889. It is often used as a symbol representing Paris or France. Parisian landmark built for the Centennial Exposition of 1889. Conceived by the bridge engineer Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923), the 984-ft (300-m) tower of open-lattice wrought iron was a technological masterpiece. Making use of advanced knowledge of the behavior of metal arch and truss forms under loading, the structure presaged a revolution in civil engineering and architectural design. The tower was the world's tallest building until completion of the Chrysler Building in 1930