The Gateway Arch was built as a monument to Thomas Jefferson’s vision toward westward expansion. The Arch is 630 feet, which is about 63 stories tall, and 630 feet wide! There are 142 stainless steel sections that make up the outer skin of the arch and give it its beautiful metallic glimmer. It is said that the Gateway Arch weighs roughly 43,226 tons and that’s because it is made of steel and concrete.

The architect was Eero Saarinen, and he won the design competition for a famous landmark to be constructed for St. Louis in 1947. Eero actually designed the structure so you could walk to the top of the Arch and look out, there are windows at the observation deck that 7″x27″ in size. The windows are small because there is about 500 tons of pressure that push inwards and any window larger would be susceptible to failure of the entire structure. Construction started on February 12, 1963 and completed on October 28, 1965! The Arch is designed to sway as much as 18 inches, and a 50mph wind only sways the arch by 1.8 inches; the arch can withstand an earthquake as well.

• Kulpreet Singh