Influence on Modern Architecture

The tower's influence extends far beyond its imitators. Its principles—structural honesty, mathematical optimization, material expression—became foundational to modern architecture.

The Chicago School skyscrapers adopted its steel frame principles. The Bauhaus embraced its functional aesthetic. Contemporary parametric design traces directly to Koechlin's mathematical approach. Even movements that rejected the tower's style absorbed its lessons about engineering as architecture.

Santiago Calatrava, designer of numerous contemporary towers, acknowledges: "Every engineer-architect works in Eiffel's shadow. He proved that the most efficient structure could be the most beautiful. My own work simply continues this conversation between force and form."