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Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St Louis Missouri consists of the Gateway Arch, the Museum of Westward Expansion, and St. Louis' Old Courthouse. During a nation-wide competition in 1947-48, the design by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel was chosen for a 630-foot stainless steel arch as a perfect monument to the spirit of the western pioneers. Construction of the Arch began in 1963, and was completed on October 28, 1965, for a total cost of less than $15 million. The Arch has foundations sunk 60 feet into the ground, and is built to withstand earthquakes and high winds; it sways up to 1 inch in a 20 mph wind, and is built to sway up to 18 inches. A Grand Staircase leads from the St. Louis levee up to the base of the Gateway Arch. The Arch is known as the "Gateway to the West". The Gateway arch stands stands 630 feet (192 m) tall, and is 630 feet (192 m) wide at its base. It is the tallest habitable structure in St. Louis (taller than One Metropolitan Square, the tallest building), and the second tallest in Missouri (behind One Kansas City Place in Kansas City), as well as the world's tallest monument. The cross-sections of its legs are equilateral triangles, narrowing from 54 feet (16.5 m) per side at the base to 17 feet (5.2 m) at the top. Each wall consists of a stainless steel skin covering reinforced concrete from ground level to 300 feet (91 m), with carbon steel and rebar from 300 feet (91 m) to the peak. The interior of the St Louis Gateway Arch is hollow and contains a unique transport system leading to an observation deck at the top. The interior of the Arch also contains two emergency stairwells of 1076 steps each, in the event of a need to evacuate the Arch or if a problem develops with the tram system.
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