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A Replica of the Eiffel Tower in London
Sir Edward Watkin, a Victorian railway magnate, attempted to build a replica of the Eiffel Tower in London, known as Watkin's Tower.
The project was launched in response to the resounding success of the Eiffel Tower, inaugurated in 1889 in Paris. Watkin wanted to create an even taller structure, reaching 358 meters, and even asked Gustave Eiffel himself to participate in its construction -- but Eiffel declined.
The project was inspired by the Eiffel Tower, which was then the tallest structure in the world. Watkin organized a competition in 1890 to design the tower, receiving 68 proposals, many of which were similar to Eiffel's design.
Construction began in 1893, but it was a failure. The tower had design flaws and structural instability issues. By 1894, only 47 meters of the tower had been built. Faced with poor construction quality and lack of funding, the project was permanently abandoned in 1899.
Source: bbc.com
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