What Makes the Eiffel Tower an Iconic Symbol of Paris?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the reasons behind the Eiffel Tower's status as an iconic symbol of Paris, exploring its uniqueness, historical significance, and architectural features. Participants share their opinions on its appeal as a tourist destination, its construction challenges, and comparisons to other structures.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that the Eiffel Tower is a massive structure in Paris, though it may not be as tall by modern standards, emphasizing its historical context and the impressive scale when viewed in person.
  • Others argue that the Eiffel Tower is not unique, citing the existence of similar structures like the Blackpool Tower.
  • One participant highlights the historical significance of the Eiffel Tower, mentioning its original purpose as a tourist attraction for the World's Fair.
  • Some express admiration for the architectural design of the Eiffel Tower, comparing it to other iconic structures like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge.
  • There are mentions of the engineering challenges faced during its construction, particularly regarding the handling of steel pieces and the installation of elevators.
  • One participant brings up the historical context of the Eiffel Tower's construction, referencing geomantic beliefs and the influence of early understandings of electromagnetics.
  • Another participant comments on the perception of the Eiffel Tower's size in relation to the surrounding Parisian architecture, noting that it appears larger in its urban context.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of opinions, with some agreeing on the impressive nature of the Eiffel Tower while others contest its uniqueness and significance. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the overall reasons for its iconic status.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the Eiffel Tower's historical significance and the challenges of its construction are based on subjective interpretations and may depend on varying definitions of "uniqueness" and "iconic." There are also references to external sources that may not be universally accepted or verified.

watermelonisnice
Why is the Eiffel Tower a popular tourist destination in Paris, is it a unique structure? I want to know everyone's opinion.
 
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Because it is a massive tower in the middle of Paris...
It is not actually that tall or big by modern standards (there are taller skyscrapers), but keep in mind that it is ~150 years old and back then it must have been incredible.
Also, it IS very impressive if you are there in person; it is hard to get the sense of scale when you just see it on photos or TV...it is very, very big and tall.
 
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watermelonisnice said:
Why is the Eiffel Tower a popular tourist destination in Paris, is it a unique structure? I want to know everyone's opinion.
I'm not sure this is a matter of opinion, but rather a matter of history. It was built for the World's Fair - it is, by design, a tourist attraction.
 
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It's not unique, as there is also the Blackpool Tower:

1617284546641.png
 
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PeroK said:
It's not unique, as there is also the Blackpool Tower:

View attachment 280718
I wouldn't mistake that for the Eiffel Tower.
 
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Is nobody amazed that this has stood for almost a century and a half and was made by the same people who gave us Peugeot?
 
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Same people who made the Statue of Liberty I think.
 
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256bits said:
Same people who made the Statue of Liberty I think.

Literally. While Bartholdi was the artist, the engineer who made sure it didn't fall down was a fellow named Gustave Eiffel.
 
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Baluncore said:
but the Shard will not. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shard

You mean it's supposed to look like that? Oh. My.

I guess it's true. Doctors bury their mistakes, but all an architect can do is plant ivy.
 
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  • #11
When the Tower was built some serious (and numerous kooky) people sought to tap into "geomantic currents" thought to be swirling within the Earth. Similar factions thought Le Tour and the Paris underground construction either sought, relied upon or disturbed said currents.

Electromagnetics was poorly understood then. Also see dowsing.

Italian semiotics professor Umberto Eco explores this aspect of Eiffel Tower fame in his history textbooks and novel "Foucault's Pendulum".
 
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f95toli said:
It is not actually that tall or big by modern standards (there are taller skyscrapers), but keep in mind that it is ~150 years old and back then it must have been incredible.
I think so too.

f95toli said:
Also, it IS very impressive if you are there in person; it is hard to get the sense of scale when you just see it on photos or TV...it is very, very big and tall.
I agree. When you are there in person it is huge. Just being under the tower is a dizzying feeling.
Here is a panoramic view from underneath the tower on Google Maps.
 
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It was almost 40 years before a larger structure (the Chrysler Building in NYC) was constructed. But Paris is not a very "tall" city - in that respect it is more like Washington DC than New York. This is especially so in the 7th and 16th arrondissements around the tower. So it looks even bigger in context.
 
  • #15
According to the French Standards of the day, the original long-wave time signals broadcast from the Eiffel Tower were not Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), they were actually “delayed Paris Time”, delayed by about 9 minutes and 21 seconds.

The subconscious plays an interesting role in history. The Statue of Liberty was certainly an excellent investment, it has now helped liberate the French twice. It seems the Eiffel Tower was so attractive that it resulted in a little unpleasantness, mainly between 1914-18 and 1939-45.
Since the Fernsehturm was built in Berlin, the attractive forces have been better balanced. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernsehturm_Berlin
 

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