-the importance of the design and construction
-significance of the materials
-significance of the designer
-function for which each was built
-function now-has it changed?
Compare the two architectural structures, by noting their similarities and differences.
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| Eiffel Tower (1889) Gustave Eiffel |
The Eiffel tower was built in 1889 by French engineer and bridge builder Alexandre Gustave Eiffel purely for the Paris Exposition of 1889, the world’s fair that marked the centennial celebration of the French Revolution. As quoted by Dr. Lori, “the monument had no practical function and was simply constructed as an attraction for the Paris World’s Fair”. Eiffel won a competition for his tower design and this is the reason the tower was built.
“The tower is 300 m (984 ft) high and consists of an open iron framework making it the highest manmade structure in the world at the time. It was the largest attraction at the Exposition and today it remains the most recognized structure in all of Europe,” (JJS gallery). It took 300 iron workers, 2 engineers, 1 architect and 1 contractor (Gustave Eiffel) 2 years to make. It is made up of 18,038 iron pieces and 2,500,000 iron rivets. The Eiffel tower design and construction was very innovative for its time and according to engology.com, its use of wrought iron initiated a new age of tall buildings constructed of iron and steel. As King states the tower is “a monument to nineteenth century architectural engineering.”
Later uses of the Eiffel tower included Eiffel’s own use of it for wind tunnel experiments and as a meteorological observation post. In the beginning of the 20th century it functioned as a radio transmitter and in 1957 was also used for FM radio and television. Nowadays it is seen as a major tourist attraction as it’s France’s most iconic building and is also one of the most recognisable structures in the world.
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| Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao (1997) Frank Gehry |
For the plans of a new Guggenheim museum in Bilbao a competition was similarly created (like the Paris Exposition competition) to produce a conceptual design and three architects were invited to participate. Gehry an architect from the United States ended up winning and his ideas of the museum having titanium curves and a soaring glass atrium was made into reality and was built in 1997. “The resulting architecture is sculptural and expressionistic, with spaces unlike any others for the presentation of art. The museum is seamlessly integrated into the urban context, unfolding its interconnecting shapes of stone, glass, and titanium on a 32,500-square-meter site along the Nervión River in the old industrial heart of the city,” (Guggenheim.org).
Unlike Alexandre Eiffel the designer of the Bilbao Guggenheim museum (Frank O. Gehry) was an architect. Gehry is known for his modern expressionist style and as mentioned by greatbuildings.com, Gehry is often discussed in architecture circles for his signature abstract, free form and curvaceous sculptural style.
The Bilbao Museum is one of five Guggenheim Museums around the world that makes up the Guggenheim foundation which “has been a preeminent institution for the collection, preservation and research of modern and contemporary art,” (Guggenheim.org). Unlike the Eiffel tower that as mentioned before was not made to have a practical function the Guggenheim museum is meant to unite great architecture with great artworks.
“The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao forever changed the way the world thinks about museums, and it continues to challenge our assumptions about the connections between art, architecture, and collecting,” (Guggenheim.org). I believe this quote shows that Gehry is an innovative designer just like Eiffel was and even though the structural designs are very different they have both created iconic masterpieces of their times.
Reference List
Dr. Lori. Eiffel Tower.
http://www.engology.com/articleeiffel.htm
Guggenheim museum Bilbao.
The Eiffel tower, Paris, 1889.
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
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