The Eiffel Tower wasn't just the largest thing that anyone had ever proposed to build, it was the largest completely useless thing. It wasn't a palace or burial chamber or place of worship. It didn't even commemorate a fallen hero. Eiffel gamely insisted that his tower would have many practical applications-that it would make a terrific military lookout and that one could do useful aeronautical and meteorological experiments from its upper reaches-but eventually even he admitted that mostly he wished to build it simply for the slightly strange pleasure of making something really quite enormous. Many
The Eiffel Tower, upon its completion, was recognized not only for its unprecedented size but also for its apparent lack of purpose. Unlike other monumental structures, it was not intended to serve as a palace, temple, or memorial. Instead, Eiffel claimed it had practical uses, envisioning its role in military surveillance and scientific experiments. However, he later conceded that his primary motivation was the unique enjoyment derived from creating something enormous.
This admission highlights the contrast between functionality and artistic ambition, suggesting that the act of creation itself can hold intrinsic value. The Eiffel Tower stands as a testament to human ingenuity, embodying the idea that not all monumental works need a solemn or utilitarian purpose to be worthy of admiration.
