Why was the Eiffel Tower built? It was made for the Universal Exposition of 1889, which was a huge international fair intended to show off France’s achievements to the world. There were dozens of other sculptures and buildings created, but the Eiffel Tower — designed by Gustave Eiffel — was the only one to remain. The tower is over 100 storeys tall. It took over 7,000 tonnes of steel to build and cost over a million dollars, an astronomical sum back then. It is a tourist attraction, but it is also used to broadcast television programmes.