Why the Eiffel Tower almost became a pillar of sunshine – France

2023-12-27 07:00:00

Spectacular, grandiose, reaching for the sky: this was the “clou” of the Paris World Exhibition of 1889 that the government was looking for. Architects from near and far outdid each other with original and fantastic offers. A project by the star architect Jules Bourdais – the so-called “colonne soleil” – was soon considered a favorite. This “pillar of the sun” was so called because it was supposed to illuminate all of Paris from its top at night, as the Breton grandly promised.