On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris, France and has stood as a symbol of that city ever since. The tallest man-made structure in the world at that time, it remained the tallest until 1930 when it was surpassed by the Chrysler Building in New York. Many cities have a structure that is readily recognized as the most prominent symbol of that city. Here is an inexhaustive list of 10 of the most iconic ones, with follow-up lists planned to cover other iconic structures that exist in such other major world cities as London.
Digging Deeper
10. The Sydney Opera House.
Opened since 1973, this beautiful building on the Sydney, Australia waterfront instantly identifies the city. The 1500 performances per year in the various performance theaters are visited by over a million people and include ballet, orchestra, and other fine arts besides opera.
9. The Terminal Tower, Cleveland.
Not enormous by today’s standards, when it was completed in 1930 it was the tallest building in the world not located in New York City and the 4th tallest building in the world. Incredibly, it remained the tallest building in North America not in New York City until 1964 (when the Prudential Building of Boston was made). No longer even the tallest building in Cleveland, the Terminal Tower is still the symbol of the city that was once the 5th most populous city in the US. Cleveland ranked among the top 10 US cities by populations in all of the decades from the 1890s through the 1970s. In 1950, Cleveland had a population of 914,808! In 1970, even Cleveland’s largest suburb, Parma, had a population over 100,000. Today, Cuyahoga County, in which Cleveland remains the county seat, possesses a population of over 1 million residents.
