Shortly after finishing work on the Statue of Liberty, Gustave Eiffel is at the height of his career. The French government commissions him to design something spectacular for the Exposition Universelle, to be held in Paris in 1889. But Eiffel is completely consumed by plans for the "Métropolitain" subway system. That is until a chance encounter with his childhood love, the beautiful Adrienne Bourgès, changes everything. Their forbidden relationship inspires him to alter the Paris skyline forever.