The Eiffel Tower has changed its color on multiple occasions since being built. Several renovations, wear and tear, and just time itself means the Eiffel Tower has been dressed up in many colors. As for the 2024 Olympic Games hosted in Paris, The Iron Lady is beginning one of its most iconic renovations. The Parisian monument will see a restoration that will lead it to regain its original color – the one desired by designer Gustave Eiffel in 1907 – which is a kind of brown-yellow which gives it a golden effect.
Originally, the Eiffel Tower was red when it was built in 1889. But it was quickly changed color to match Eiffel’s tastes. The current color, “Eiffel Tower brown” has been around since 1968, so it’s clearly time for a paint job. The new coat of paint started at the end of 2019 and should be completed by 2022, prior to the Olympics.
The task of the makeover is huge. In order to repaint the Eiffel Tower, the old layers of paint need to be removed. This can pile up to reach a thickness of 3mm in some areas. Then, workers will need to paint each square inch of the Tower with the new color. All 18,000 parts that make up the Eiffel Tower, constructed by 2.5 million rivets, are being painted individually.
Eep! You can already start to see the new golden color by looking at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Pro tip: it shows extra on sunny days. If you aren’t in Paris, you will have to wait until 2022 to admire the new golden Eiffel Tower.
