Tall Building: Eiffel Tower
I'm way into big buildings. They do a lot more for a city's character and future than most people recognize. So, I think it's HAWTaction [hot ak-shuh
n] to keep tabs on new projects like the Nakheel Harbour and Tower, Bahrain WTC, Honeycomb Skyscraper, Burj Dubai... in Dubai... in Pictures, CCTV and TVCC Towers, Tokyo Sky Tree, Burj Dubai (Revisited), Dancing Towers, Dynamic Tower, Dubai Towers, The Lighthouse (Paris), The Lighthouse (Dubai), Antilla, London's Super Tower, Eiffel Tower, Shuffle Tower, Full Moon, Caspian Bay, Chicago Spire, Chicago's Aqua Tower, Infinity Tower, Teardrop, Christmas Tree or the Burj Dubai.
This post takes us to one of the original Tall Buildings: The Eiffel Tower. I'm writing to inform that there is an exact replica of this tower in Las Vegas which is equally enchanting and authentic and MUCH more convenient for we U.S. folk. Warning, though, the Las Vegas one could dissolve upon contact with water. Who-haw!
No, this post is addressing original Eiffel Tower in Paris that is turning 120 next year. To celebrate this rather random anniversary, Paris held a design contest to find the best plans to... well... change the very tower that is being honored. (Yes, I also found it odd.) The winning design belonged to the French company Serero Architects. Behold what will be the new, 120-year-old Eiffel Tower (sunset extra):
n] to keep tabs on new projects like the Nakheel Harbour and Tower, Bahrain WTC, Honeycomb Skyscraper, Burj Dubai... in Dubai... in Pictures, CCTV and TVCC Towers, Tokyo Sky Tree, Burj Dubai (Revisited), Dancing Towers, Dynamic Tower, Dubai Towers, The Lighthouse (Paris), The Lighthouse (Dubai), Antilla, London's Super Tower, Eiffel Tower, Shuffle Tower, Full Moon, Caspian Bay, Chicago Spire, Chicago's Aqua Tower, Infinity Tower, Teardrop, Christmas Tree or the Burj Dubai.This post takes us to one of the original Tall Buildings: The Eiffel Tower. I'm writing to inform that there is an exact replica of this tower in Las Vegas which is equally enchanting and authentic and MUCH more convenient for we U.S. folk. Warning, though, the Las Vegas one could dissolve upon contact with water. Who-haw!
No, this post is addressing original Eiffel Tower in Paris that is turning 120 next year. To celebrate this rather random anniversary, Paris held a design contest to find the best plans to... well... change the very tower that is being honored. (Yes, I also found it odd.) The winning design belonged to the French company Serero Architects. Behold what will be the new, 120-year-old Eiffel Tower (sunset extra):
The competition called for entries that would change any of the public spaces on (our around) the tower. The entries had to remain faithful to Eiffel's original vision for the building. Serero's entry, as you can see, focused on the top observation deck, almost doubling the available space for city-gazing. The platform is made out of kevlar (yes, the stuff they make bullet proof vests out of). It's a web that's simply bolted onto the tower's frame.
Here's a close-up model of the platform at night.
A bit of history. The Eiffel Tower was constructed out of 7,300 tons of steel for the 1889 World's Fair. When built, it was the tallest building in the world and held that title until the Chrysler Building was finished in 1930. It was always intended to be a short-term attraction; Eiffel only had a 20-year lease from the city. Good thing, because Parisians hated the design, calling it an eyesore from the second it started going up. But the tower was so important to communication (giant radio antenna), it managed to stay after termination of the lease in 1909. Eventually, the tower's sassy design must have won them over, because it's still around and it has had half a billion visitors. Holy moly. It's the most visited paid monument in the world.
The first feedback I've seen is that people hate this Serero design. (I feel there'd be negative feedback towards any change to the Eiffel.) Call me crazy, but I actually like it. Either way, this new design will reshape the tower for a limited time. It's not permanent... or... like the very tower itself, will it find a home in France? The plot thickens!!! More photos:
Here's a close-up model of the platform at night.
A bit of history. The Eiffel Tower was constructed out of 7,300 tons of steel for the 1889 World's Fair. When built, it was the tallest building in the world and held that title until the Chrysler Building was finished in 1930. It was always intended to be a short-term attraction; Eiffel only had a 20-year lease from the city. Good thing, because Parisians hated the design, calling it an eyesore from the second it started going up. But the tower was so important to communication (giant radio antenna), it managed to stay after termination of the lease in 1909. Eventually, the tower's sassy design must have won them over, because it's still around and it has had half a billion visitors. Holy moly. It's the most visited paid monument in the world. The first feedback I've seen is that people hate this Serero design. (I feel there'd be negative feedback towards any change to the Eiffel.) Call me crazy, but I actually like it. Either way, this new design will reshape the tower for a limited time. It's not permanent... or... like the very tower itself, will it find a home in France? The plot thickens!!! More photos:
The addition on the Eiffel Tower? HAWTaction [hot ak-shuhn].
n].
I'm terrified of heights, but this is awesome.
I'd love to go to Paris and observe the Eiffel Tower (from afar)
looks like a great addition to me, i wonder if it's wide enough for base jumping.
WOW!!! Amazing!
The addition will be stunning - in many more ways than one. Indeed, why not alter (read: deface) an icon - in the name of 'celebration' and, oh yes, of course, practicality (to increase the area of the observation platform) - by adding a Kevlar web which, once on said platform, one cannot see what one came up to see in the first place, due to said Kevlar web.
Yep. Stunning.
Vin Bolton
Toronto
Wow, this looks horrible. No way this will go through--no way...
OMG, WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT TO THE EIFFEL TOWER??? NOW IT LOOKS LIKE A CHEAP VEGAS WANNABEE!!!!!!! THE EIFFEL TOWER IS UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL THE WAY IT IS!!!!! LEAVE IT!!!!!!!!!