Eiffel tower Quote by Roland Barthes
““The Tower is not a sacred monument, and no taboo can forbid a commonplace life to develop there, but there can be no question, nonetheless, of a trivial phenomenon here; the installation of a restaurant on the Tower, for instance ... The Eiffel Tower is a comfortable object, and moreover, it is in this that it its an object wither very old (analogous, for instance, to the Circus) or very modern (analogous to certain American institutions such as the drive-in movie, in which one can simultaneously enjoy the film, the car, the food, and the freshness of the night air). Further, by affording its visitor a whole polyphony of pleasures, from technological wonder to haute cuisine, including the panorama, the Tower ultimately reunites with the essential function of all major human sites: autarchy; the Tower can live on itself: one can dream there, eat there, observe there, understand there, marvel there, shop there, as on an ocean liner (another mythic object that sets children dreaming), one can feel oneself cut off from the world and yet the owner of a world.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Eiffel Tower” in Mythologies, 1957
The Tower serves as a multifunctional space where everyday life, leisure, and contemplation coexist, turning a monumental structure into a personal, dreamlike environment.
In simple terms: The Tower blends daily activities with wonder, making it a personal, dream space.
Embrace ordinary experiences in iconic places.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- planning cultural events
- designing public spaces
- marketing tourism
- creating immersive experiences
- studying urban mythmaking
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does commercialization affect the Tower’s symbolic power?
- Can everyday rituals transform monumental spaces?
Its commercial aspects may dilute its cultural significance, turning it into a consumer spectacle.