Controversy and Consensus

The tower still provokes debate. Some Parisians complain about tourist crowds and commercialization. Intellectuals argue its image has become cliché, too reproduced to retain meaning. Environmental activists question the carbon footprint of maintaining a purely symbolic structure.

Yet attempts to imagine Paris without the tower fail. When artist Dani Karavan proposed covering it in fabric for an installation, public outcry was immediate. The tower has achieved the paradox of being simultaneously over-exposed and irreplaceable.

Writer Zadie Smith captures this duality: "Yes, it's a cliché. Yes, every tourist photographs it. But climb it at sunset, feel the wind through the girders, watch the city light up below, and try to remain cynical. The tower defeats irony through sheer presence."