If you are a LEGO lover like we are at our house, then you will love our version of a LEGO science tower, which is designed to look like the Eifel Tower! The Eifel tower has been used for many different scientific purposes over the years- including as a weather science lab, a radio tower, and today is used a lot by the French military.
When it comes to making LEGO tower ideas, it can be hard to find the same exact bricks that the original creator used. If you run into this problem, don’t fret- just supplement with what you have. Maybe you are building the yellow LEGO Eiffel tower!
How Was the Eiffel Tower a Science Lab?
According to the Eiffel Tower’s official website, it’s existence as a structure was controversial. Many people in Victorian France thought it was ugly and should be torn down (it was bright yellow at the time)!
But at his own expense, the designer of the building, Gustave Eiffel, wanted to use it as a place of scientific discovery and published many scientific experiments on weather, wind, humidity, and more.
But in the early 1900s, when the fate of the tower was in question, the invention of radio and the tower’s height interested the French military which started to use the tower as a site for military radio science experiments.
The Tower offered an amazing opportunity for its experimentation, because the higher the antenna, the greater the distance and the wider the zone over which messages can be transmitted. An antenna cable was installed, stretching from the summit to the Champ de Mars. En 1898, Eugène Ducretet was able to communicate with the Pantheon 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away. So in 1903, Eiffel offered to let the Army use the Tower, and even to finance a part of the necessary installations himself. In 1904, they were able to communicate with the forts in the East and even with the Bizerte naval base in Algeria. From that moment, the Tower gained strategic military importance. This allowed Eiffel to extend his concession on the land for another 70 years, which guaranteed the long life of his Tower. It has never been questioned since!
How the Eiffel Tower Was a Science Lab
What You Need to Build the LEGO Eifel Tower
The LEGO bricks that you need to build this LEGO science tower aren’t complicated, but specific pieces are required to make the design accurate. Try to gather as many of the pieces below when making your tower, or, alternatively, you can substitute with other LEGO bricks that you own.
The main design element is that the colors should all be as cohesive as possible, in this case gray.
You can buy gray LEGO bricks in bulk (we like to get ours from Etsy).
- 1 large baseplate
- 4 black 2×4 bricks
- 4 grey 2×4 bricks
- 8 grey 2×2 bricks
- 4 grey 1×6 bricks with bow
- 9 grey 1×1 bricks
- 4 grey 2x2x3 roof tile
- 8 grey 1×2 plates with shaft
- 8 grey 1×1 with holder
- 2 grey 1×1 round bricks
- 2 grey 1×6 plates
- 2 grey 2×2 plates
- 2 grey 4×4 plates
- 2 grey 1×1 bricks with 4 knobs
- 4 1x1x2/3 roof tiles
- 1 stick
You can also find many of these bricks in Star Wars LEGO sets, like this Mandalorian LEGO set.
But, if you have bins full of LEGO bricks like we do, you’ll probably find what you need with enough digging.
Other Fun LEGO Builds to Try
If you like building a LEGO Eiffel tower, then you’ll also love making these LEGO creations!
Easy LEGO Structures to Make with Classic LEGO Bricks
20 Easy LEGO Cars to Build with Kids
Easy Things to Build with LEGOs (using a Creative Brick Box)
How to Make a LEGO Science Tower (Just like the Eifel tower!)
It’s difficult to describe how to make the Eifel tower, but I have a lot of pictures that will show you step-by-step how to assemble the tower.
First, you will build the base of the tower.
Next you will build the center of the tower.
And finally, you will build the top spire of the LEGO science tower.
And there you have it! The LEGO science tower is complete!
Did you know that the Eifel tower was used in such a scientific way?