After the successful completion of the Eiffel tower in 1889, London authorities launched a competition to design a new tower for the capital of England. The competition received 68 entries from different architectures and construction companies, varying from the wacky to the just plain copycat. Eventually, design number 37 by Stewart, McLaren, and Dunn was selected. The designers were awarded 500 guinea prize money to build the new tower in Wembley Park. The Metropolitan Tower Company started its construction in 1892. Still, it soon ran into problems falling chronically behind schedule due to marshy ground and financial difficulties, which eventually led to their liquidation in 1889. Construction ceased after only 47 meters had been completed. The abandoned tower is known as Watkins Folly, or the London Stump remained a spectacle in the park before being deemed unsafe and blown up in 1904.
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50+ Competitive Designs Submitted For The Construction Of Great Tower For London In 1890
