Watkins' Tower
Encyclopedia
Watkin's Tower was a partially completed building in London
, England
, UK. It was marketed as the "Great Tower of London".
in Paris
, France
, Sir Edward Watkin
(a British
Member of Parliament
and chairman of the Metropolitan Railway
) proposed the construction of a taller tower in Wembley Park
, London, that would be the centrepiece of a pleasure park just 12 minutes from Baker Street station. Watkin invited Gustave Eiffel
himself to design the tower, but the Frenchman declined – replying that if he designed the tower, the French people "would not think me so good a Frenchman as I hope I am."
, envisioned as a "colony of aerial vegetarians, who would grow their own food in hanging gardens".
The winning entry, submitted by Stewart, MacLaren and Dunn, was a metal tower on eight legs. The proposed tower was 358 metres (1,175 ft) – 45.8 metres (150 ft) taller than the Eiffel Tower
, which was 312.2 metres (1,024 ft) at the time. It had two observation deck
s – each with restaurants, theatres, dancing rooms, exhibitions, and Turkish baths. The design was modified to a four-legged design that looked very similar to the Eiffel Tower
. The Metropolitan Tower Construction Company was established to build the tower and the foundations were laid in 1892. The main building work commenced the following year.
.
Over the next few years, the construction company experienced problems financing the project and went into voluntary liquidation in 1899. Work stopped, and the tower was never completed. Watkin died in 1901, and with halted construction, the "unsafe" site was closed to the public the following year. The company turned to house building to recoup its losses and demolished the completed section of the tower using dynamite
in 1904 to 1907.
The original Wembley Stadium was built for the 1923 British Empire Exhibition
on the site of the tower, covering its foundations. When the stadium was rebuilt in 2000, the lowering of the level of the pitch resulted in the concrete foundations of the tower being rediscovered on the stadium site.
(1894), New Brighton Tower
(1896) and Morecambe Tower (1898) were also built, although only the Blackpool Tower remains standing.
The story of Watkin's Tower is recounted briefly in the 1973 BBC documentary by Sir John Betjeman, Metro-land
, which also shows some of the unsuccessful designs for the tower.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, UK. It was marketed as the "Great Tower of London".
Names
Numerous names were given to the tower during its planning, construction and legacy. These include Watkin's Tower, Watkin's Folly, the Wembley Park Tower, the Wembley Tower, the Metropolitan Tower, and the London Stump.History
Inspired by the construction of the Eiffel TowerEiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Sir Edward Watkin
Edward Watkin
Sir Edward William Watkin, 1st Baronet was an English railway chairman and politician.- Biography :Watkin was born in Salford, Lancashire, the son of a wealthy cotton merchant, Absalom Watkin who was noted for his involvement in the Anti-corn Law League.After a private education, he returned to...
(a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and chairman of the Metropolitan Railway
Metropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
) proposed the construction of a taller tower in Wembley Park
Wembley Park
Wembley Park is an area of northwest London, UK. It is part of Wembley, and located in the London Borough of Brent. It includes Wembley Stadium, England's primary football stadium and a major sports and entertainment venue, and Wembley Arena, a concert venue...
, London, that would be the centrepiece of a pleasure park just 12 minutes from Baker Street station. Watkin invited Gustave Eiffel
Gustave Eiffel
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was a French structural engineer from the École Centrale Paris, an architect, an entrepreneur and a specialist of metallic structures...
himself to design the tower, but the Frenchman declined – replying that if he designed the tower, the French people "would not think me so good a Frenchman as I hope I am."
Design and construction
An architectural competition was held in 1890, and numerous designs were submitted. Proposals included a £1m tower inspired by the Tower of Pisa, a structure with "a captive parachute to hold four persons", and a tower with a spiral railway climbing its exterior. One design included a 1/12-scale model of the Great Pyramid of GizaGreat Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact...
, envisioned as a "colony of aerial vegetarians, who would grow their own food in hanging gardens".
The winning entry, submitted by Stewart, MacLaren and Dunn, was a metal tower on eight legs. The proposed tower was 358 metres (1,175 ft) – 45.8 metres (150 ft) taller than the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
, which was 312.2 metres (1,024 ft) at the time. It had two observation deck
Observation deck
__FORCETOC__ An observation deck, observation platform or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure such as a skyscraper or observation tower...
s – each with restaurants, theatres, dancing rooms, exhibitions, and Turkish baths. The design was modified to a four-legged design that looked very similar to the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
. The Metropolitan Tower Construction Company was established to build the tower and the foundations were laid in 1892. The main building work commenced the following year.
Opening and demolition
The park opened to the public in 1896, though construction of the tower had not surpassed the first stage at approximately 47 metres (154.2 ft). At this time, work was behind schedule as Watkin retired through ill health and the structure's foundations were unsteady. This was caused by the reduction in the number of the tower's legs; the increased pressure on each leg caused subsidenceSubsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
.
Over the next few years, the construction company experienced problems financing the project and went into voluntary liquidation in 1899. Work stopped, and the tower was never completed. Watkin died in 1901, and with halted construction, the "unsafe" site was closed to the public the following year. The company turned to house building to recoup its losses and demolished the completed section of the tower using dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
in 1904 to 1907.
The original Wembley Stadium was built for the 1923 British Empire Exhibition
British Empire Exhibition
The British Empire Exhibition was a colonial exhibition held at Wembley, Middlesex in 1924 and 1925.-History:It was opened by King George V on St George's Day, 23 April 1924. The British Empire contained 58 countries at that time, and only Gambia and Gibraltar did not take part...
on the site of the tower, covering its foundations. When the stadium was rebuilt in 2000, the lowering of the level of the pitch resulted in the concrete foundations of the tower being rediscovered on the stadium site.
Legacy
Watkin's Folly was not the last attempt to build a notable British tower. In the North West of England, the Blackpool TowerBlackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower Eye is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. . Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it rises to 518 feet & 9 inches . The tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers...
(1894), New Brighton Tower
New Brighton Tower
New Brighton Tower was a lattice-steel observation tower at New Brighton on the Wirral Peninsula in England. The 1,000 tonne tower, which stood at high, became the tallest building in Great Britain when it opened in 1900...
(1896) and Morecambe Tower (1898) were also built, although only the Blackpool Tower remains standing.
The story of Watkin's Tower is recounted briefly in the 1973 BBC documentary by Sir John Betjeman, Metro-land
Metro-land (TV)
Metro-land is a BBC documentary film written and narrated by the then Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman. It was directed by Edward Mirzoeff and first broadcast in colour on February 26, 1973...
, which also shows some of the unsuccessful designs for the tower.
External links
- SkyscraperPage - Watkin's Tower (358 m), a conception of the illustrator.
- SkyscraperPage - Watkin's Tower (47 m)
- Skyscraper News - Wembley Park Tower