Gateway Arch

Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch is a 630-foot-tall (192 m) monument in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Clad in stainless steel and built in the form of a weighted catenary arch, it is the world's tallest arch and Missouri's tallest accessible structure. Some sources consider it the tallest human-made monument in the Western Hemisphere. Built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States and officially dedicated to "the American people", the Arch, commonly referred to as "The Gateway to the West", is a National Historic Landmark in Gateway Arch National Park and has become a popular tourist destination, as well as an internationally recognized symbol of St. Louis.

Arch

An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but structural load-bearing arches became popular only after their adoption by the Ancient Romans in the 4th century BC.

gateway

Noun

1. A passage that can be closed by use of a gate.
2. A place regarded as giving access to somewhere.

Verb

1. To make available using a gateway, or access point.

arch

Noun

1. An inverted U shape.
2. An arch-shaped arrangement of trapezoidal stones, designed to redistribute downward force outward.

Verb

1. To form into an arch shape.
2. To cover with an arch or arches.