What an Eiffel!
Here we present structures around the world that have been inspired by the Eiffel Tower, from near-identical replicas of the Parisian landmark to designs that were more loosely based on the tower.
There’s a radio transmission tower in Sydney, a tower crowned by a cowboy hat in Texas and the iconic seafront Blackpool Tower, among others.
Nicknamed the ‘Iron Lady’, the 1,082ft- (330m) high Eiffel Tower was designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel to appear as a showpiece in the 1889 ‘Exposition Universelle’ (world’s fair).
Though numerous French artists deemed it an eyesore when it was first unveiled, it has gone on to become one of the world’s most famous structures – and seemingly a source of inspiration for designers.
Oscar Wilde once said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – and so we should consider Gustave Eiffel well and truly flattered…
‘EIFFEL TOWER’ – PARIS, TEXAS: Set in the Texan city of Paris, this 66ft- (20m) high structure is topped with a jaunty red cowboy hat. It was built in 1993 and is covered with LED lights. Image courtesy of Creative Commons
TOKYO TOWER, JAPAN: This striped structure, completed in 1958, serves as a tourist attraction and a broadcasting tower in the Japanese capital. At a height of 1,092ft (333m), it’s even higher than its muse – the Eiffel Tower
‘EIFFEL TOWER’ – SHENZHEN, CHINA: This 354ft- (108m) high tower can be found in the Window of the World in China, which features more than 100 reproductions of the world’s most iconic landmarks – there are also models of Pyramids and the Taj Mahal. Image courtesy of Creative Commons
AWA TOWER – SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: This 151ft (46m) radio transmission tower sits atop a building in Sydney that served as the headquarters for the Amalgamated Wireless Australasia company. Erected in the 1930s, the structure was known as Sydney’s highest building until the 1960s. Image courtesy of Creative Commons
‘EIFFEL TOWER’ – TORREJON DE ARDOZ, SPAIN: This 100ft (30m) Eiffel Tower replica lies in Parque Europa, a park near Spain that’s filled with ‘replicas of the most emblematic monuments from Europe’s major cities’, the local tourist board reveals. Image courtesy of Creative Commons
COPENHAGEN ZOO TOWER – DENMARK: This 143ft (43m) tower, built in 1905, is one of the world’s tallest observation towers built of wood. It’s often said that its base is very similar to that of the Eiffel Tower. It sits in Copenhagen Zoo which, with a founding date of 1859, is one of Europe’s oldest zoos. Image courtesy of Creative Commons
TORRE DEL REFORMADOR – GUATEMALA CITY: This 246ft (75m) tower was erected in the 1930s to honour the late President of Guatemala Justo Rufino Barrios. It was built in the U.S at a price of 49,775 Guatemalan quetzals (around £5,200/$6,426)
FILIATRA TOWER – PELOPONNESE, GREECE: A Greek-American doctor named Charalambos Fournarakis funded the construction of this 85ft (26m) scale model of the Eiffel Tower in the 1960s. It sits at the entrance to the Greek town of Filiatra, Fournarakis’s hometown. The current model is different to the original, as it was reconstructed in 2007
‘EIFFEL TOWER’ – LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: An icon of the Las Vegas strip, the 540ft (164m) replica is part of the Paris Las Vegas casino hotel, built in the 1990s. Travellers can buy a $24.50 (£20) ticket to visit its observation deck, and by night, it lights up in the colours of the French flag as part of the hotel’s light show
‘EIFFEL TOWER’ – BAHRIA TOWN LAHORE, PAKISTAN: This tower, measuring 262ft (80m) in height, was constructed in 2014 as an ornamental feature of a park – called Eiffel Tower Park – in a community development. It’s often used as a backdrop for fireworks displays. Image courtesy of Creative Commons
BLACKPOOL TOWER – ENGLAND: The former mayor of the seaside town of Blackpool, John Bickerstaffe, was apparently ‘so impressed’ by the Eiffel Tower when he saw it at the Great Paris Exhibition in 1889 that he commissioned the construction of Blackpool Tower on his return. Built in 1894, it stands at 518ft (158m) and is designed to sway with the wind
Above is the original Eiffel Tower, opened to the public in 1889
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