Watkin's Tower Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, Watkin invited Gustave Eiffel himself to design the tower, but the Frenchman declined – replying that if he designed the tower, the French people "would not think me so good a Frenchman as I hope I am." An architectural design competition was held in 1890, and a total of 68 designs were submitted. Some of the more exotic proposals included a £1m tower inspired by the Tower of Pisa; a structure with "a captive parachute to hold four persons"; and a tower with a spiral railway climbing its exterior. One design included a 1/12-scale model
Eiffel Tower replicas and derivatives Eiffel Tower replicas and derivatives As one of the most iconic and recognisable structures in the world, the Eiffel Tower has been the inspiration for the creation of over 50 similar towers around the world. Most are not exact replicas, though there are many like it. The Eiffel Tower was an inspiration for the Blackpool Tower in Blackpool, England, which proved that a tower could be a profitable tourist attraction. The Blackpool Tower was originally the idea of the Standard Contract and Debenture Corporation, based in the Isle of Man, who proposed the erection of two towers, one in Blackpool