The Competition: Seeking the Extraordinary

On May 2, 1886, the French government announced a competition for the design of a 300-meter (984-foot) iron tower to serve as the entrance arch to the exposition. The specifications were precise: the tower must have a square base measuring 125 meters on each side and rise to a height of 300 meters—nearly twice as tall as any structure then standing.

The announcement sparked imagination and controversy in equal measure. Over 100 proposals flooded in from engineers, architects, and dreamers. Some designs were practical, others fantastical. One proposal featured a giant guillotine (tactlessly commemorating the Revolution's darker moments), another suggested a massive stone column topped with electric lights, and yet another envisioned a tower that would spray water from its summit to irrigate all of Paris.

The diversity of proposals reflected the diverse voices of Paris itself. Women, though excluded from formal engineering positions, submitted designs through male relatives. Foreign-born engineers living in Paris contributed their visions. The competition became a democratic expression of possibility, even as the final decision would rest with a small committee of officials.