The Gateway ArchBy Lauren Miller

Period 1

Gateway Arch Location

In St. Louis, Missouri, the Gateway Arch is located on the Jefferson National Memorial Expansion along the banks of the Mississippi River

History of the Gateway Arch

  The Gateway Arch reflects

St. Louis’ role in the Westward Expansion of the United States during the nineteenth century

The park is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s role in opening the West to the pioneers who helped shape its history, and to Dred Scott who sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse

How the Design Was Chosen

A nationwide competition was held in 1947 to 1948 to design a monument in St. Louis honoring western pioneers

The architect Eero Saarinen won the contest with his sleek arch

The Designers of the Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch was designed by a Finnish American architect named Eero Saarinen and a structural engineer named Hannskarl Bandel in 1947

Eero Saarinen Hannskarl Bandel

Construction of the Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch was built in triangular sections and has larger sections at the base and smaller sections at the apex

Each of the sections is a double walled equilateral triangle of carbon steel on the interior and stainless steel on the exterior held together by welded high strength steel rods

The small spaces between the double walls of the triangular sections are filled with concrete up to the 300 foot level

Construction for the Gateway Arch began in 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965.

How much the Arch weighs

The Gateway Arch is a massive stainless steel structure that towers 630 feet above the surrounding landscape

Nine hundred tons of stainless steel were used

The Gateway Arch weighs 17,264 tons

Another Name for the Arch

The Gateway Arch in St.Louis, Missouri, is also known as the Gateway to the West

Facts about the Gateway Arch The Arch is the largest

monument in the United States and is larger than the Washington Monument and the Statue of Liberty

The foundations of the Arch sink 60 feet into the ground

The Arch sways a maximum of 18" (9" each way) in a 150 mph wind when the usual sway is 1/2"

The Arch was built at a cost of $13 million

The transportation system was built at a cost of $3,500,000

Inside the Arch The floor plan of the Underground Visitor Center

follows a circular pattern with galleries showing a 100-year span of Westward Expansion

Other attractions include two passenger trams to the observation room at the top and the Museum of Westward Expansion

Visitors to the Gateway Arch can step back in the past at Levee Mercantile, an1870s style riverfront general store that is located in the visitor center beneath the Arch

Most of the food products in the Levee Mercantile feature Missouri natives who use their own traditional recipes

Visitors can also see a documentary film called Monument to the Dream explaining the construction of the Arch shown daily in the Tucker Theatre

Large screen movies are shown on the Arch's Odyssey Theatre's four story high screen featuring a 70 mm projection system and THX sound

Getting to the Top Underneath the north and south legs

of the Gateway Arch, you can board one of two enclosed trams

Four minutes later, after a narrated trip, you’re at the indoor Gateway Arch Observation Area

Trams run every 10 minutes

There are eight tram cars that go up to the top of the Arch in the north and south legs and each tram seats five people

Trams travel at an average speed of 4mph and are very quiet and safe

Visitors can enjoy the views and displays for as long as they like

Missouri State Quarter

Missouri’s state quarter shows the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Gateway Arch

Bibliography

http://www.gatewayarch.com/Arch/info/arch.fact.aspx

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/harrison/harrison30.htm

http://www.slfp.com/View-of-Arch.html

http://www.truckerphoto.com/gatewayarch.htm

http://www.shapeofamerica.com/shape/id/11

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Gateway_Arch.html