4 Iconic City Monuments That Almost Weren’t
Epic fails around the world.
When you think of landmark cities worldwide, you probably think of exactly that—literal landmarks. What’s New York City without the Statue of Liberty or Paris without the Eiffel Tower? The world’s most populous locales are usually defined by the structures within. But what if the world’s most renowned monuments were, for a lack of a better word, un-monumental? Check out some of the greatest design fails for landmark architecturals around the globe. Sometimes plans just don’t go as…planned.
*All renderings are courtesy of Untapped Cities, a publication dedicated to helping you rediscover your city.
Tower Bridge | London
As London grew significantly busier in the late 1800s, there was a pressing need to build a new Thames crossing. Thus a competition for the Tower Bridge began in 1876. Nearly 50 designs were submitted, one of which was F.J. Palmer’s strangely futuristic curved bridge with moveable platforms. Was Palmer ahead of his time? Probably. Is the world happy that these designs weren’t brought to fruition? No doubt.
The Lincoln Memorial | Washington D.C.
The exemplary Lincoln Memorial was built in 1911 by virtue of Henry Bacon’s proposed designs. But, did you know that architect John Russel Pope also made a proposal, only to be entirely shut down? Drawing inspiration from Mayan culture, Pope sketched ideas for a pyramid. Not what you were expecting, right? But, hey—he got his shot with the Jefferson Memorial.
Arc de Triomphe | Paris
Imagine the iconic Arc de Triomphe in Paris as an elephant. Hard to picture, right? Well, for good reason. Construction for the incredible landmark as we know it began in 1806, but architect Charles Ribart submitted a design just 45 years earlier which called for, yes, an elephant. It would have included a spiral staircase and a fountain feature in its trunk. Interesting, sure. Trés Parisian? Nope.
Sydney Opera House | Sydney
The Sydney Opera House has become a bona fide symbol of the land down under. In 1955, there was an international design competition for the legendary site, and 220 proposals were submitted. While Jørn Utzon’s sailboat-esque design was a sure winner, Sir Eugene Goossens (who just so happened to be the conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra) also submitted an architectural plan. The building would have had perfect acoustics, but it was rather…boring. So it’s safe to say the world is pleased with its current build.
