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| Eiffel Tower (1889) Gustave Eiffel |
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower situated in Paris which was built between 1887 and 1889 by 300 steel workers. It was built as a entrance arch for the world fair celebrating the French Revolution. Named after its designer engineer Gustave Eiffel, who was assisted by fellow engineers Émile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin, and architect, Stephen Sauvestre, who won the national competition to show the possibility of constructing an iron tower on the Champ-de-Mars. Their design proposal was chosen out of 700 proposals.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower
Until 1930 it was the world's tallest building standing at at 300metres (320.75 m including antenna), and weighing 7,000 tons. It consists of 2.5 million rivets, 15,000 iron pieces (excluding rivets), uses 40 tons of paint and has 1652 steps to the top. The height of tower varies up to 15cm depending on the temperature and can sway up to 12cm in high winds.
http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Landmarks/eiffel-history.htm
At first the design of the tower was not accepted by many, a petition containing 300 names opposed it and. many people named it an "eyesore" at that time. Gustave Eiffel also used it to conduct certain aerodynamic experiments which have aided military and aviation technology. Nowadays the tower is a popular tourist destination and is used for telecommunication purposes and is "considered to be a striking piece of structural art."
The Guggenheim Musuem
Established on October 18, 1997, The Guggenheim Musuem is a musuem which contains modern and contemporary art. It was designed by Canadian American architect Frank Gehry and built by Ferrovial (a Spanish multinational country) in Bibao, Basque Country, Spain. It was opened as part of a revitilisation effort for the city and was picked the winner out of an architectural competion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guggenheim_Museum_Bilbao
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrovial
Gehry was known for his use of "unorthodox materials and inventive forms, and his sensitivity to the urban environment" He used materials such as limestone, glass and titanium to construct the musuem which was made possible by 3D design computer programme "Catia" The design of musuem reflects on Gehrys style and incorporates many curves and contours to create organic shapes and forms. His proposal for the site on the Nervion River , embraced the identity of the Guggenheim Museum and its new home on the Basque Country.
http://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao/history
Up to this day, the museum has put Bibao on the map and has been a major tourist destination. There are permanent and exhibitions in the museum which constantly change featuring Spanish and internation artists. It has had a huge impact on Balbio and architect Phillip Johnson even stated it "the greatest building of our time".
Compare the two architectural structures, by noting their similarities and differences.
Both of these buildings have been considered as one of the greatest structures of their time and have become national recognizable landmarks. They bring in many tourists from all over the world which have commented on their beauty and its architectural masterpiece. Both have been chosen winners from architectural competitions plus which incorporate very conceptual designs using aberrant materials. However, the Eiffel tower is a structure which is an architectural masterpiece in itself and has served many different purposes, opposed to the Guggenheim Musuem which is also equally architecturally amazing is an art Musuem displaying artwork inside.
