Gustave Eiffel retired from engineering.
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel ( born Bönickhausen ; [ ˈaɪfəl ] [ ɛfɛl ] ; 15 December 1832 -- 27 December 1923 ) was a French civil engineer and architect . After his retirement from engineering , Eiffel focused on research into meteorology and aerodynamics , and making significant contributions in both fields .