Revisiting the alternate histories strand of this project whilst in Paris I started wondering what would have become of the Eiffel Tower had it been dismantled as originally intended at the conclusion to the World Fair 1889.
Constructed from 1887 to 1889 it was initially criticised by some of France’s leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but it has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world; 6.91 million people ascended it in 2015.
However what would have become of it had it been taken down? In this scenario I imagine it was bought by a long defunct American corporation or wealthy individual, maybe sited along Route 66 as a tourist destination but now along with many of the motels and attractions that once lined this route, forgotten and abandoned with the coming of the Interstate.
And what of Paris, would the tower have been missed? Maybe the ‘unwanted’ Statue Of Liberty would have stood in the towers place? Maybe it would just been mourned by an interested few who saw its potential, that it could have been the most iconically ‘French’ thing on the planet.
More importantly what would the city of Paris use in its place, what would the cities identity now be linked to?
Its not hard to imagine the image elements here so this time I have shown four alternate compositions, only one will go through to the final show collection.
