Painting the Eiffel Tower

(Published on 17 July 2007 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

When Peter Ford cleverly asked in his article about the colour of the Eiffel Tower, he thought he had me dumb founded. But dear Peter, they don’t call me a Miss Know-All for nothing. My knowledge is as layered as the number of paint coats on the Iron Lady of Paris. Actually, Peter’s question is a trick question. Though it seems as though the Eiffel Tower is in one colour the truth is that the monument is not painted in one single colour. It is in fact painted in three different shades of a specially mixed ‘Eiffel Tower Brown.’

Gustave Eiffel painted his creation red when he constructed the Eiffel Tower in 1889. Since then, the tower, erected for the International Exposition and for the centennial celebration of the French Revolution, has changed from being a yellow to a beige and finally to a brown.

Since 1968, the iron structure has been 'Eiffel Tower Brown,' which has been considered as the colour that best brings out its silhouette against the Paris sky. To ensure that the tower seems as though it is in one colour – it has been painted in three shades. This is owing to the visual effect the background has on any object. By painting the bottom of the tower a darker colour, the centre a slightly lighter shade and finally the top an even more paler shade, it makes the visitor believe that the tower is in one colour. The shading ensures that the colour is perceived to be the same all the way up. This shading is believed to enhance and accentuate the structure's elegance.

However, the painting is not just about aesthetics. Mr. Gustave Eiffel himself emphasised that painting of the tower is the essential means of conserving the metallic structure, and that maintenance is the only guarantee of its durability. The paint keeps the iron structure from rusting and collapsing.

The Tower has been repainted seventeen times since it was built. Sixty tons of paint is required, as well as 1500 brushes, 5000 sanding disks and a team of 25 painters. The paint is applied manually, with brushes. Rollers and paint guns are not allowed. The 18th coat of paint was applied from December 2001 to June 2003. The first floor to the top of the Tower is painted every 5 years while the entire monument is painted every 10 years.

Out of the sixty tons of paint used each time, about 20 tons of pain evaporates or erodes. That still leaves 40 tons more weight on the tower each time. After 17 paint jobs, the Eiffel Tower is about 700 tons heavier than when it was first designed. However, this does not pose any danger, as the weight is evenly distributed.

For those who have been to Paris, the view of this majestic tower can be compared to no other. In the words of Alexandre Gustave Eiffel – “I ought to be jealous of that tower. She is more famous than I am.”

Miss Know-All
miss.know.all@gmail.com