Artistic Comparison of Two Architectural Greats

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For centuries, creative forms of architecture has captivated the human eye, excited the imagination, and artistic inspirations. Well know forms of architecture like the ancient pyramids of Egypt to the extraordinary skyscrapers of New York exhibit unparalleled engineering that has influenced art forms like Modernism & Renaissance. Today I will examine the similarities and differences of two well-known architectural creations, France’s Eiffel Tower and New York’s Chrysler Building. They both rose majestically above the crowded cities they occupy. The Eiffel Tower was once the tallest building in the world. 19th Century European architecture is a widely covered subject because there were so many magnificent buildings constructed. The most well-known structure built was LA TOUR EIFFEL or better known as The Eiffel Tower. The design was done by Gustave Alexandre Eiffel. He was a successful bridge engineer. Construction on the Eiffel tower started on January 28, 1887 for the upcoming World Fair in 1889. It was to be used as the entrance way to the Fair commemorating the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. There has since been much debate of its artistic influence, if any. The Eiffel was criticized because of its starkness and height. It reigned as the tallest building in the world for 41 years. It wasn’t until construction was complete on the Chrysler Building, that Eiffel lost its title. The Chrysler building was completed in 1930 and stood 1046 feet tall. The buildings architect William van Alen was also criticized for his design. It appeared Chrysler would lose the race to be the tallest building in the world. Critics said the sphire was showy and only erected to surpass the height of the Bank of Manhattan. The two magnificent structures were very different and shared few similarities. The Eiffel Tower’s construction was influenced by the Art Nouveau

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