Slide Show: The Space Needle v. Other Cities’ Famous Monuments
EIFFEL TOWER
Paris, France • 1,063 feet
Decidedly ahead of its time: 47 prominent Paris writers and artists wrote a letter condemning the tower’s “barbarous mass” as a “stupefying folly” whose “odious shadow” would spread like an ink stain across their beloved city.
Photography by Alexander Chaikin/Shutterstock
GATEWAY ARCH
St. louis, Missouri • 630 feet
Free of sci-fi associations, period design trends, or commercial kitsch, the Arch is a better candidate for timeless excellence than most other monuments. The open Mississippi River waterfront offers more drama than the Space Needle’s congested urban site.
Photography by Planet5D LLC/Shutterstock
STRATOSPHERE TOWER
Las Vegas, Nevada • 1,149 feet
Overall rocket shape is interesting, but vast, plain concrete surfaces are tedious. Stratosphere Tower makes a stronger impression at a distance than the Space Needle because of its larger size, but the Space Needle rewards with finer detail at close range.
Photography by Jeremy Zawodny
TOWER OF THE AMERICAS
San Antonio, Texas • 750 feet
Like the Space Needle, San Antonio’s tower was the centerpiece of a world’s fair—HemisFair ’68.
Photography by Visit San Antonio
