Of course, that never happened. Even though many considered the radio tower to be an eyesore, its curved, stretched-toward-the-sky design grew on the French populace. After it was used for communication in World War I, it became symbolic of the Allied victory. And so it remained, even as French writer Guy de Maupassant dryly claimed to dine often at the tower only because it was the single place where it could not be seen.

Today, the tower soars above the old-fashioned buildings of Paris. You might walk a few innocent-looking blocks with your head down, and then suddenly find a giant iron monstrosity imposed upon you. You might crane your neck upward, suddenly realizing that what is before you is just one small corner base of an incredible structure. In the evening, it sparkles with bright white lights on the hour. Where would Paris be without it?