Painting the Eiffel Tower
The repainting campaign is an important event in the life of the monument and takes on a truly mythical nature, as with everything linked to the Eiffel Tower. It represents the lasting quality of a work of art known all over the world, the colour of the monument that is symbolic of the Parisian cityscape, the technical prowess of painters unaffected by vertigo, and the importance of the methods implemented.
The Tower's protection
The Eiffel Tower is built using puddle iron, a material with a practically eternal lifespan if it is just regularly repainted! Indeed, there are various factors that can threaten this metal such as rust, the unavoidable pollution in a city, and bird droppings.
In 1900, in his book "The 300-Meter Tower ", Gustave Eiffel wrote:
We will most likely never realize the full importance of painting the Tower, that it is the essential element in the conservation of metal works and the more meticulous the paint job, the longer the Tower shall endure.
In 136 years, the Eiffel Tower has already been repainted 20 times—an average of once every 7 years. In 2019, the monument began its 20th painting campaign, an unprecedented effort due to its scale and complexity, which, for the first time, included stripping parts of the structure. For the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the entire world got to admire the Tower proudly displaying its new and radiant yellow-brown color!
The current color of the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower has returned to the yellow-brown color that Gustave Eiffel chose for the monument in 1907. A shade selected to shine over the city of Paris for many years to come!
How many times has the Eiffel Tower been repainted?
In 136 years, the Eiffel Tower has been repainted 20 times, an absolute necessity to ensure its longevity.
20
The number
The history of the colors of the Eiffel Tower
The painting campaigns have occasionally transformed the Parisian landscape. From red to yellow, with various shades of brown in between, here is the surprising story of the Tower's 8 first colors.
The first color used on the Eiffel Tower was applied directly at Gustave Eiffel’s workshops in Levallois-Perret. Venetian red was the color that made the Tower shine during its assembly in 1887 and 1888. This was quickly covered for the 1889 World’s Fair with a thick coat of reddish brown.
In 1892, the Tower traded that shade for a more ochre tone and became ochre-brown. In 1899, just before the 1900 World’s Fair, the Tower turned yellow: five gradient shades, ranging from orange-yellow at the base to light yellow at the top, were applied to create a uniform look against the Parisian sky.
When the Tower became a permanent fixture in 1907, Gustave Eiffel chose the yellow-brown color that remained for 47 years. The 1954 campaign marked a subtle return to the Tower’s early days with a reddish-brown color. In 1968, a specially designed color created exclusively for the Iron Lady was chosen to harmonize with the Parisian landscape—a bronze-like hue known as “Eiffel Tower brown”, which lasted over 50 years.
For its 20th painting campaign started in 2019, the monument returned to the historic 1907 shade: yellow-brown. This tone reflects the original choice Gustave Eiffel made when the Tower became a lasting symbol of Paris.
Background of the Eiffel Tower's colours:
- 1887/88 : "Venetian red" paint, applied in the workshop before the parts were assembled.
- 1889 : Application of a very thick, reddish-brown coat.
- 1892 : The Tower turns "ochre brown".
- 1899 : A coat of 5 colours is painted in shaded tones from yellow-orange at the base to light yellow at the top. It was after this repainting campaign that the 7-year cycle was adopted for the renewal of the paintwork.
- 1907-1917-1924-1932-1939-1947 : The colour is called "yellow-brown". The 1917 repainting was delayed because of the war.
- 1954-61 : A new colour for the Eiffel Tower: "brownish-red".
- 1968-2019 : The colour “Eiffel Tower Brown” is chosen for its harmony with the Parisian cityscape. It was applied in three shaded tones, with the darkest at the bottom and the lightest at the top.
The colour is made up of three different tones
Darker at the base and lighter towards the top to create a visual impression of uniformity.
tones
3
The numberA few figures
- About 50 painters – all of them specialists in work on metallic structures at great heights and on towers, and completely unaffected by vertigo;
- 60 tonnes of paint;
- the weight of eroded paint between two painting campaigns is estimated at 15 tonnes;
- 55 kilometres of safety line;
- 250,000 m² are repainted
A Guide to the Repainting Campaigns:
First things first: security equipment
Before the painters begin, specialists in work on tall buildings first fit safety nets and safety lines.
Safety Lines
Painters are equipped with harnesses to work on the Eiffel Tower's beams. Their security is ensured under the best possible conditions thanks to the systematic installation of safety lines (lignes de vie), which allow the workers to move around freely while staying attached to the structure at all times.
Safety nets
Safety nets are fitted to secure the work areas (against falling objects) and to catch any paint flakes. In 2009 they were equipped with an “anti-drip” system for the first time, using polymer film.
Tool safety
All of the tools used are attached to the painters’ belts or wrists, including paint pots and brushes.
The Painter’s Work: to form an assessment, to clean, to apply the paint
The extent and complexity of the work requires a rigorous methodology that includes a preparatory stage to search for the most corroded areas. These areas are then stripped, and a first coat of an anti-rust primer is applied, followed by a second application to strengthen the rust-proofing. Lastly, a final coat of paint is applied.
The course of Campaigns
Campaigns can lasts between 18 months and over 3 years, interruptions due to the weather considered:
- painting is impossible if the structure is too cold,
- the paint does not stick well if the structure is wet.
