Latinas Welding Guild helps build Eiffel Tower replica for swim trials
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIf you can’t make it to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, you can still get a piece of Paris in Indianapolis thanks to a special group of local welders.
Ahead of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, the not-for-profit Latinas Welding Guild Inc. has built a 66-foot replica of the iconic Eiffel Tower on Georgia Street right next to the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indy.
The tower, which weighs close to 12 tons is the result of more than 1,000 hours of work, according to Executive Director Consuelo Poland Lockhart.
“We have over 600 parts that are going on into this thing,” she said. “All the metal is being sourced from Indiana and then being processed by a local fab shop. And then we’re welding everything together. So it’s definitely been a fun learning experience and a good challenge. I think none of the welders that we’ve contracted or have on our team have ever worked on anything close to this.”
Indianapolis-based FA Wilhelm Construction teamed up with the guild to construct the tower on Georgia Street. Vice President Pat Kenney said the project was a challenge from the get go with the design and the logistics.
“It’s figuring out where we’re going to put it, how we’re going do it, because this thing will come in seven or eight pieces from bottom to top with foundations poured right out on Georgia Street, right by St. John’s Church,” Kenney said.
The Latinas Welding Guild was founded in 2017 as a means to offer affordable or free education to unemployed and underemployed community members. Deputy Director Jessica Hernandez told the IBJ’s Dave Lindquist the project is a significant opportunity for welding trainees.
“It’s an awesome project for the students to get real-life experience in learning how welding can be used outside of production welding,” Hernandez said. “It also gives them a lot of exposure for the work they’re doing on this big project.”
Lockhart said she hopes the fact that the project was built by a welding team of women stands out for visitors.
“I think we all really want to just like blow people’s minds about who were the people behind the welding mask,” she said. “Because I think most people when they think of welders, they think about like these big, burly, bearded men, and all of us are all under the age of 40. We’re all super proud to be working on this project. It is truly like such a unique opportunity.”
Construction of the replica is complete, and people can see it at the corner of Georgia Street and Capitol Avenue through the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials, which runs June 15-23.