▁at ▁the ▁foot ▁of ▁the ▁E iff el ▁Tower , ▁also ▁featured ▁a ▁display ▁called ▁" The ▁History ▁of ▁Human ▁Hab itation ", ▁with ▁model ▁houses ▁dep ict ing ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁domestic ▁architecture , ▁designed ▁with ▁much ▁imagination ▁by ▁Charles ▁G arn ier , ▁architect ▁of ▁the ▁Paris ▁Opera . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁twenty - two ▁different ▁ent ran ces ▁to ▁the ▁Ex position , ▁around ▁its ▁per imeter . ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁open ▁from ▁ 8 ▁a . m . ▁until ▁ 6 : 0 0 ▁p , m . ▁for ▁the ▁major ▁exhib its ▁and ▁pal aces , ▁and ▁until ▁ 1 1 : 0 0 ▁in ▁the ▁evening ▁for ▁the ▁ill umin ated ▁gre ens ▁and ▁restaur ants . ▁ ▁The ▁major ▁cer emon ial ▁entrance ▁was ▁located ▁at ▁Les ▁In val ides ▁consisting ▁of ▁two ▁tall ▁p yl ons ▁with ▁color ful ▁orn ament , ▁like ▁giant ▁cand el ab ras . ▁ ▁View s ▁of ▁the ▁Ex position ▁ ▁Struct ures ▁ ▁The ▁E iff el ▁Tower ▁ ▁The ▁E iff el ▁Tower , ▁built ▁especially ▁for ▁the ▁Ex position , ▁was ▁the ▁tall est ▁structure ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁A ▁competition ▁to ▁build ▁what ▁was ▁simply ▁called ▁ ▁" A ▁tower ▁of ▁three ▁hundred ▁meters " ▁with ▁a ▁base ▁one ▁hundred ▁meters ▁wide , ▁was ▁announced ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁It ▁ ▁was ▁won ▁by ▁the ▁construction ▁firm ▁of ▁Gust ave ▁E iff el , ▁which ▁had ▁recently ▁built ▁the