London needs an Eifel Tower Equivalent

[aquablue]

I believe that London requires a tower like the Eifel, one that is monumental and contains and observation deck. Something that is unusual and unique. Something around the same height. How about this? It would give London more soar without requiring offices/tennants. A good location would be in regent park. I rather think that something like that big purple dildo would be great, however made of twisted stainless steel rather than purple neon.

[Peyre]

LBT will be our Eiffel Tower IMO.

[high_flyer]

Er how about the London Eye??

[NothingBetterToDo]

one that is monumental and contains and observation deck. Something that is unusual and unique. It would give London more soar without requiring offices/tennants.

errrrr the London eye???? :dunno:


:okay:

[wjfox]

We already tried this 100 years ago. It didn't work out -

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=66

[Gherkin]

^^ I was about to post something similar. I'm glad it didn't, I don't think it would fit in as well as the London Eye.

[Mr Bricks]

Wembley Park Tower....would have been taller than the Eiffel tower, I wonder what would have happen had it been built.

[Gareth]

Why on earth does London need an Eiffel Tower? It's got many of it's own iconic towers such as Tower Of London, Westminster Palace (Big Ben) newer towers like Swiss RE and many more on the way.

[jmancuso]

is the london eye permanent now? i remember that it was only supposed to be there for 5 years but they obviously extended it so it there food good?

[aquablue]

Somethin modern and thin and very high, could be built on an island in the thames. How about a gateway arch spanning the thames like the one in St. Louis Missouri. That has an observation tower on top. It could serve as the Thames gateway icon.

[Giorgio]

Why copy other cities?

[Tubeman]

Wembley Park Tower....would have been taller than the Eiffel tower, I wonder what would have happen had it been built.

It would have been pretty crap I reckon... The beauty of the Eiffel Tower is its Central Location. In the 1900s Wembley wasn't even part of London proper let alone the urban area, it would have been a great place to go to look at fields... or today industrial estates, superstores and 1930's semis. It would be the equivalent of building an observation tower in a fields on the edge of Slough today.

As an aside, my Great-grandfather was Sir Edward Watkin's butler... The guy responsible for this tower (Watkin's Folly) as well as being chairman of the Metropolitan and Great Central Railways... Hence I have a direct link to the chairman of the world's first underground railway, and therefore my current employer's very inception.

[Medo]

is the london eye permanent now? i remember that it was only supposed to be there for 5 years but they obviously extended it so it there food good?

I think they extended it by 25 years. :cheers:

[andysimo123]

What a stupid comment. The Eiffel Tower is a one off and also you can't even spell. Its Eiffel not Eifel.

[Andrew]

If only they'd have built this though...
http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/200TheAlbertMemorial_pic1.jpg
:drool: would have been amazing :drool:

[aquablue]

Bugger off Mr. pedantic AndySimo -- I did not say to build a copy of the tower, but something of an equivalent to it -- a monument unlike LBT (which requires pre-lets), but something tall and graceful and modern built with twisting steel, similar to that proposed leicster square neon dildo. The eye isn't prominent enough really. I do not think it is a stupid comment, but I do think yours was.

[Matthieu]

London needs something original yeah. A stuff like the Wembley Park Tower couldn't have worked.

The London Eye certainly doesn't have the fame the Eiffel Tower enjoy, and the Riesenrad of Vienna is probably the most famous observation wheel around.

Nah, London needs something new that wasn't done before the problem is the Eiffel Tower is famous because it nearly doubled the world tallest's size, from 169m (Washington Monument) to 300m, today this would mean something near the 1km tall... and humans may get sick going up there (oxygen and pressure) that is excluding the wind problems and water pressure (there will be a need for a lot of bars to get water up there).

[jmancuso]

I think they extended it by 25 years. :cheers:


they should just make it permanent becuse in 25 years, it will be solidified as a modern london icon. then again, the eiffel tower was only supposed to stand for 20 years after the worlds fair and then be pulled down.

[Eleinad]

aquablue needs a spelling checker---> Eiffel Tower

[DarJoLe]

The London Eye certainly doesn't have the fame the Eiffel Tower enjoy

Well durh, the Eye's only been there for six years.

This is a ridiculous thread. London doesn't need anymore 'icons' to make people recognise the city.

[wjfox]

^ I agree.

We already have an Eiffel Tower equivalent........... it's called Big Ben.



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Clock.tower.from.westminster.br.arp.750pix.jpg

[Eleinad]

^^
Didn't you have a bigger pic? :hahano:

You edited the message, now it's no more fun...

[Tubeman]

^ I agree.

We already have an Eiffel Tower equivalent........... it's called Big Ben.


I got the impression he was talking more in terms of an observation platform rather than just an iconic building (London has plenty).

Every big city worth its salt seems to have an iconic, static viewing platform for the skyline, London doesn't really (Monument is too small really). I agree that LBT will become ours... The view from there will be simply :drool:

[nick_-_taylor]

London needs something original yeah. A stuff like the Wembley Park Tower couldn't have worked.

The London Eye certainly doesn't have the fame the Eiffel Tower enjoy, and the Riesenrad of Vienna is probably the most famous observation wheel around.

Nah, London needs something new that wasn't done before the problem is the Eiffel Tower is famous because it nearly doubled the world tallest's size, from 169m (Washington Monument) to 300m, today this would mean something near the 1km tall... and humans may get sick going up there (oxygen and pressure) that is excluding the wind problems and water pressure (there will be a need for a lot of bars to get water up there).Do a blind poll and I doubt many would think of the Riesenrad, while I should point out that the London Eye is the only Observation Wheel on the planet. The Riesenrad and other ferris wheels are supported on two sides, the London Eye is supported from only one side. Its revolutionary in that it takes an old idea and totally redesigns it into something new, interesting and exceptionally popular.

Some would argue that its as recognisabe as the Eiffel Tower which would be a bit of a success considering its age is nothing to that of the Eiffel Tower, but give it a few more years and who knows....one thing is for certain its started a new 'craze' with other cities trying to now build either ferris wheels or alternative observation devices to try and compete with the unique-ness of the London Eye. I also don't see how doubling the Eiffel Towers' size would have anything to correlate with anything having to be as iconic. Big Ben achieves that easily, whie the Louvre extension is comparable to the British Museum Grand Courtyard - both neither massive, but immensely iconic and thoughtful designs to problems.

[metro]

the thing about the eiffel tower is that you can see the thing pretty much anywhere in paris. being enormous it sort of stands out on its own like 1 canada square used to.. it looks just as impressive 10 miles away than if your right underneath it in my opinion.

that why we need the shard.

[LDN_EUROPE]

How about the shard (LBT)?

[aquablue]

To be honest, I was thinking of something like a larger dublin spire, however with a more complex form and an observation deck -- of course it would be much wider than the spire --- something simple, high and elegant. I wonder if could it be built on the river itself, on a tiny little island linked by a bridge to the bank.

[Erebus555]

Naah, thats all I can say. Anything like that would be a big waste of money. I think we have all learned a lesson since the dome.

[potto]

as suggested a few times before, LBT could achieve something along the lines of what you require

[El_Greco]

Every big city worth its salt seems to have an iconic, static viewing platform for the skyline, London doesn't really (Monument is too small really)

St Pauls,Westminster Cathedral.

[clarky]

How about the shard (LBT)?

If Paris builds this 400m tower at LD which i think seems very unlikely we must build bigger in London.
As for an observation tower that would look good in Canary Wharf.

[Matthieu]

If Paris builds this 400m tower at LD which i think seems very unlikely we must build bigger in London.
As for an observation tower that would look good in Canary Wharf.

Worst place possible to build an observation tower. You'll only see walls if it's not much taller than the skyscrapers. Observation towers are supposed to be far away from other tall buildings.

[aquablue]

Perhaps we could replace that ugly BT tower with something of restraint, modernity and elegance. Or if that location is too cramped or ugly, a tall slim observation tower would be a good focal point for one of the large parks - how about Regent Park. Its not too central as to cause sightline disruptions.

[hellolazyness]

Am I the only one who thinks the London Eye is repulsive? :dunno:

[Tubeman]

Am I the only one who thinks the London Eye is repulsive? :dunno:

Probably

[hellolazyness]

All I can say is I hope London never build something as pointless as the Spire on O'Connell Street in Dublin (aka The Stiffy by the Liffey or The erection at the intersection).

[hellolazyness]

Probably

I dunno, I just don't understand what people see in it...all I can think of is it's big and gives good views but aesthetically it's hardly special is it?

[Zenith]

^^

:crazy:

http://www.indulgencecharters.com/images/london-eye-halfway.jpg

http://www.neystadt.org/john/album/London2003/DSCN1246-London-Eye-Wheel.JPG

[Erebus555]

The London Eye fits in with London quite well. It serves as a masive tourist attraction and a great asset to London.

[hellolazyness]

:crazy:

http://www.indulgencecharters.com/images/london-eye-halfway.jpg

http://www.neystadt.org/john/album/London2003/DSCN1246-London-Eye-Wheel.JPG

I'm perfectly aware what it looks like and I've been up there! I just don't like it. Ferris wheels generally are unpleasant IMO.

[NothingBetterToDo]

All I can say is I hope London never build something as pointless as the Spire on O'Connell Street in Dublin (aka The Stiffy by the Liffey or The erection at the intersection).

Yeah, the Dublin spire reminds me of a Lamp post....but London recently got something very similar down at greenwich...


"UK's Tallest Steel sculpture unveiled at Greenwich"
http://www.ajplus.co.uk/Images/Articles/271006_SPIRE_MAIN.jpg

[crawf]

I dont think London needs a tower equivalent to the Eiffel Tower

[JDN21]

I dont think London needs an equivalent to the Eiffel tower either. It has a fine array of its own iconic structures - Parliament, the Eye, St Pauls, Swiss Re etc - and soon to have the LBT.

The Eiffel Tower is a class act - it dominates Paris and is quintisentially French in the best possible way. Its presence and culture is captured perfectly in the current IBM ad.

I would like to see some sort of non-tenant, inconic structures like this in other UK cities though, but they should be highly original and befitting of the said city.

[ikra]

hmmmmmmm... before i came to england I always thought it like this

London:
London Bridge and Big Ben
France:
Eiffel Tower and triumph arch

=/ i wonder what else can london make thats unique... i know buckingham palace is gorgeous... =/

[NothingBetterToDo]

^^ you mean Tower bridge and Big Ben :)

London Bridge is a non-descript concrete thing

[clarky]

They should bring back the skylon project.
http://www.skyscrapernews.com/skylon.jpg
http://www.skyscrapernews.com/skylon.jpg

[Medo]

I don't like pointless stuff like that. What if it fell on somebody? :ohno:

[aquablue]

There is nothing pointless about these things -- they act as focal points, meeting points, the more the better in my opinion. Also, they distinguish and characterize the areas where they reside. I realize London has loads of Iconic structures, but i don't see why another one can't be built. Why put a limit on it? The BT tower could be replaced by something more visually appealing, how about that?

[Medo]

:blahblah:

[aquablue]

blah, yourself..

[Medo]

Actually it does have a point, a very sharp point. I prefer round things to be honest. http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/3884/vyp2.gif

[high_flyer]

I remember a while back there was talk of the Skylon being re-erected, I think Goth mentioned it?
I like the Skylon, its graceful but also striking and futuristic, Jetson style :yes:

[Fern]

The London Eye certainly doesn't have the fame the Eiffel Tower enjoy, and the Riesenrad of Vienna is probably the most famous observation wheel around.
Funny.. neither me nor any of my mates has ever heard of it...

[Tubeman]

I remember a while back there was talk of the Skylon being re-erected, I think Goth mentioned it?
I like the Skylon, its graceful but also striking and futuristic, Jetson style :yes:

I think the Skylon has got to be on the top 3 list of London structures I want back from the dead (probably along with Crystal Palace and the old Euston station). In its context it was highly symbolic... London's brave futuristic new face rising from the ashes of the blitz. It was so futuristic that it would still look contempory today, it would look amazing floodlit, perhaps with slowly shifting colours like the top of the BT Tower.

Sadly it was toppled into the Thames by Tories who were trying to eradicate all trace of the postwar labour government responsible for the Festival of Britain :(

[JGG]

There is no point of constructing more tall towers in London if the overall height of groundscrapers all around is taken up to 12 floors or more. The only places from where you can really see how high these towers are is from Hampstead and Greenwich. Just walk along the south bank of the Thames, you barely see the Gherkin and T42 coming out above all that groundscraper dross. In Paris, the overall height restrictions mean that the Eiffel Tower and La Defense really stand out. And at least you have proper viewing corridors, like the historical axis.

By the way, LBT will also not be a modern-day equivalent to the Eiffel tower if Beetham is constructed pretty much next to it. From most viewing angles they will compete with each other and LBT will be demoted from iconic tower to just one of those tall towers lining the south bank of the Thames.

[Chrisyd]

As a short term solution to our observations platform needs, why not reopen the Rotating Restaurant at the top of BT Tower? It was shut due to security reasons involving the IRA in the 70's, if we can keep other attractions open, surely it is possible to put the necessary security in place for this.
As an aside, if you go tot the 9th floor of the OXO Tower in between the extortionately priced restaurant and bar, there is a free viewing area, which provides some good views.

[clarky]

I think the Skylon has got to be on the top 3 list of London structures I want back from the dead (probably along with Crystal Palace
:(

It would would be great to see the crystal palace back from the dead but not the proposed reduced in size palace.
I just searched for images of old Euston station.It wasn't even bombed during ww2 and demolished in the 60s what the hell were they thinking:ohno:

From this
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13271/13271-h/images/ill1s.jpg
Then this
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/collections/prism/images/doric_WEB.jpg
To this
http://vinlai.com/gallery2/v/569-2/euston_station.jpg
Maybe this
http://www.franklinandrews.com/scaled/54507179.jpeg

[JGG]

I fail to see what would be architecturally more pleasing in that new rendering of a redeveloped Euston. It looks like a Tesco. Maybe fashionable these days, but no great architecture. I think the new Euston buildings should make a statement as stations used to do. Why not look at the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof for some inspiration?

[Zenith]

We no longer seem to give a shit do we?

And Clarky, if the developers had got their way in the 60's wed have nothing left. You wouldnt believe what was destroyed or planned to be destroyed.

A developer even wanted to reclad tower bridge! Pull down covent garden and St Pancras (Thankyou Mr Betjeman)...and much much much more....

The same is true all over the country. It is my belief that much of what was pre war was distinctly interwoven into who we were and what made us British. The Victorians and Edwardians instinctively understood good urban design and planning, and we threw it all away after the war. Blame it on liberal wish washy ideals and a hatred of the ancien regime. Blame it on the men who cared only about their wallets...

Take a look at this picture and then tell me why they did it? Ill never understand..
Interior of Euston Train Station
P.C Hardwick


http://www.shaw-hardwick.co.uk/photos/000_euston_station_02.jpg

[DarJoLe]

We're doing exactly the same today.

I doubt that will be the final Euston station design. As far as I'm aware with new railway stations, they will all be designed with air rights given over to offices and towers above them to pay for the redevelopment, ala Cannon Street and Victoria.

I walked down Euston Road from Warren Street to King's Cross yesterday. My god that area is miserable. it was like walking around 1980s London - oppressive, dirty, tired and falling apart. Roll on the Terry Farrell masterplan, although as per usual with London it will be piecemeal development taking decades.

[potto]

^^ you mean Tower bridge and Big Ben :)

London Bridge is a non-descript concrete thing

although it was one of the wonders of the world! Ho hum

still think it should be rebuilt properly and we would have another iconic thing!

[Zenith]

Like everything else weve lost....we wont rebuild it.

[DarJoLe]

Like everything else weve lost....we wont rebuild it.

http://whitstablepier.com/fob/skylonfromsouthbank.jpg

We just reinvent it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/97/UK_Londen_Millenium_Dome_20040921_30701.JPG/800px-UK_Londen_Millenium_Dome_20040921_30701.JPG

Twelve skylons and a Dome Of Discovery.

[Tubeman]

http://www.shaw-hardwick.co.uk/photos/000_euston_station_02.jpg

^^

:cry:

[Tubeman]

Twelve skylons and a Dome Of Discovery.

You certainly have a point. Do you think they inspired the Dome design?

[Zenith]

We reinvented Euston? No I dont think so....in the case of the Dome yes. However im talking about pre war, not post war as the skylon etc is.

As bad as the damage done to Birmingham

[Tubeman]

although it was one of the wonders of the world! Ho hum

still think it should be rebuilt properly and we would have another iconic thing!

Which one? The version now in Arizona or the original bridge with all buildings on it?

The former was an inadequate size and the latter a ramshackle mess

[high_flyer]

Maybe if we had gone through WW2, and seen the decline of The British Empire, our mind set would be slightly different?? A chance to set a new path for Britain, getting rid of all the old reminders of Empire constructed by the Victorians and Georgians, a departure from our past of war and conflict, a chance to give us a new look, not rulers of the world, but of the future?

Not saying that I condone what they did, but at the time, if we had gone through what they had, it may be more understandable

[aquablue]

bring on the neon dildo for leicster square

[Snowy]

I've never really liked the idea of recreating buildings from the past. It always feels like you're looking at an imitation of the building, rather than the building itself, which leaves you feeling cheated somehow. What an architect should do is study pictures of the original building so that he gets an overall feel for it and then try and incorporate some of the key features into a contemporary structure.

Re. Euston Station, I'm sure that knocking it down and replacing it with a 'modern' structure must have seemed like a good idea at the time. Remember that this was a time when Victorian architecture was seen as passe and sometimes (amazingly enough) ugly. It would be no different to us tearing down the existing Euston Station (which many people would like to happen, me included) and replacing it with a modern structure. What would be ironic though is if 50 years from now people were having the same discussion about the demolition of the 1960s station and declaring it amazing that we allowed it to happen. Seems ridiculous given the state of the current building, but that's probably what they thought back in the '60s as well ;)

[TallBox]

http://www.londonleben.co.uk/photos/uncategorized/cptrans.jpg

[Gherkin]

^^ lol if the Crystal Palace transmittor was built instead of the Eiffel Tower it would have been torn down! It's not that high, pretty and doesn't have any friends! The Eiffel tower fits in really well in Paris.

[emzeti]

..without the observation tower..i still in love to London city..hehe
(i'm from Malaysia)

[potto]

Which one? The version now in Arizona or the original bridge with all buildings on it?

The former was an inadequate size and the latter a ramshackle mess

The one with buildings on! It was considered one of the wonders of the world and was a symbol for London. I think a new living bridge would be an excellent idea!

[delores]

why not set up a competition for a new london bridge? or set up a framework at least that would involve many architects designing individual buildings for a living bridge link from the south to the north and a gateway to the city. It could be done and ready for 2012 and be a great addition to london.

[JDRS]

That bridge with buildings on was fantastic and I'd love to see such a thing built again on the Thames!

The Eiffel tower is the main icon of Paris and is perfect for the city. The London Eye is London's main observation structure and does its' job very well. How anyone can find it ugly is beyond me and I think it is probably the most famous observation wheel in the world.

I seem to remember a future vision of canary wharf posted on here a few times with an observation building (or at least it looked like it) which would be great if CW was a bit less blocky and the building was in the right place to look out over Central London.

[aquablue]

The new london bridge could have a curved arch of metal or glass -- something like that newcastle one. That would complement the circular nature of the Eye.

[aquablue]

I do think that if some of the bridges were changed into interesting modern expressions, they would become London Icons and would contrast nicely with the older bridges.

[delores]

I agree. There was an exhibition a while ago at the Royal Academy on living bridges. Some proposals were quiet interesting, some flawed and trying too hard to be iconic and egocentric, but some had some valid designs that were of some merit. I think if a new bridge was remodeled or rebuilt it should try and relate to the materials used in London, not another glassy anonymous structure and not another ' MORE' .
I'm not sure about an Eifel tower though, that time has long gone, we don't really need another observation tower or for that matter a faux parisian copycat design.

[CharlieP]

Funny.. neither me nor any of my mates has ever heard of it...

I think that says more about you and your mates than the Riesenrad.

[CharlieP]

All I can say is I hope London never build something as pointless as the Spire on O'Connell Street in Dublin (aka The Stiffy by the Liffey or The erection at the intersection).

You mean the Skewer by the Sewer? I actually really like it...

[CharlieP]

The Eiffel Tower is a one off and also you can't even spell.

Oh, the irony :)

[aquablue]

SO what you pedantic pillick, i missed an 'f', big deal mate.:ohno:

[majormystery]

SO what you pedantic pillick, i missed an 'f', big deal mate.:ohno:

Its pillock :ohno:

[Scarecrow]

London needs an Eiffel tower equivalent, and you've got a thread slagging off Singapore for building a ferris wheel that is a supposed breach of london copyright? Oh, the hypocrisy! :lol:

[aquablue]

Equivalent, not meaning a copy of the tower, but something similar, an observation tower in a modern vain.

:bash:

[and-r]

london set up a giant observation wheel that is ranked as being the worlds most popular tourist attraction. the london eye is now as iconic to london as the eiffel tower is to paris. both are a major part of the skyline in each city and completely original

[wjfox]

london set up a giant observation wheel that is ranked as being the worlds most popular tourist attraction.
Do you have a source for that?

[Matthieu]

london set up a giant observation wheel that is ranked as being the worlds most popular tourist attraction. the london eye is now as iconic to london as the eiffel tower is to paris. both are a major part of the skyline in each city and completely original

:sly:

[BenL]

london set up a giant observation wheel that is ranked as being the worlds most popular tourist attraction.
It carries 3.5 million passengers per year. That's about the same as Alton Towers...

[Jack Rabbit Slim]

Wish we had something like this in London

http://www.willfox.com/images/skyscrapers/lbt/lbt.jpg

;)

:cheers:

[hellolazyness]

You mean the Skewer by the Sewer? I actually really like it...

Up close it looks as though bits of paint are flaking off and it's brand new...on the other hand I hardly think they were going to put Nelson back up there :laugh:

[embe]

Its about 1 million a year more than Alton Towers, but no where near World's most popular!