Barcelona’s Palau Nacional. Photo: Paula Funnell

Undaunted by the setback, Eiffel had better luck with Paris and, despite some opposition from local residents, the structure was constructed for the 1889 World Fair (Expo) – with the understanding that it would be dismantled thereafter. In the end it stayed, and few are the visitors to the Paris icon today who remember that the tower was initially designed to be merely a temporary addition to the Paris skyline.

World-class architecture in Barcelona

The general idea with Expos is that landmark buildings are constructed for the event, and then dismantled after the exhibition has concluded. And that is just what happened to the German pavilion for the 1929 event in Barcelona. It was demolished in January 1930. Later, Mies van der Rohe commented that working in Barcelona had been a high point of his professional life, and such was the enthusiasm for the lost pavilion that in 1986 it was reconstructed. Today it rates as a world class piece of European architecture.

A pavilion reborn

It is a wonderful building, a temple to the appeal of the Modern Movement. Sleek, textured and cool, the pavelló is an oasis of polished travertine and marble in lovely Montjuïc, southwest of Barcelona’s city center. From Montjuïc, there are super views over Barcelona and an opportunity to see the architectural legacy of the 1929 Expo and the 1992 Olympics – which were both based on and around Montjuïc.

Famous Expo leftovers

Hannover’s large mailbox. Photo: Photocapy

Some other buildings from that Barcelona fair won a reprieve from demolition. The Palau Nacional is a beautiful palace that was constructed as the centerpiece for the 1929 Expo. Original plans to demolish it met with fierce opposition from Barcelona citizens and the building found new life as home to a museum devoted to Catalan visual art.

Many European cities have World Fair leftovers that escaped the post-event bulldozers. The Oceanarium in Lisbon, a leftover from Expo 1998, is one. In the Heysel area of Brussels, the Atomium is another. It was built for the 1958 World Fair and celebrates the achievements of a generation that had – for better or worse – developed a fuller understanding of the atom.

Our favorite Expo relic, however, is in Hannover, where a 150-foot-high mailbox is a quirky reminder of the 2000 World Fair in Hannover – probably the most lackluster Expo event of all time, but that outrageous mailbox always raises a smile.

The post World’s Fair Architectural Leftovers: Paris, Barcelona and more! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

As a salute to the July 4, 2009 re-opening of the crown of Frédéric Bartholdi’s “Lady Liberty” statue in New York harbor, and the upcoming July 14th Bastille Day in France, we’re giving away a “Teddy” market sac in royal purple created by Frédéric Périgot of Paris.

“Teddy” market sacs by Perigot at the Carrousel du Louvre.

The first Cheapo to answer our question correctly wins the prize. Just leave your answer in the comments box below.

Here’s the big question:

Bartholdi was the artist, but who was the structural engineer of the Union Franco-Americaine Statue of Liberty project?

Leave your answers (and your emails!) in the comments section below to win!

Speaking of Franco-American gifts…

Périgot is the official supplier of feather dusters and other cleaning implements to the Palais de l’ Elysées (the French presidential palace) on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. What could be hipper or sexier than tidying up the pad with black ostrich feathers? “Nothing but the best,” as torch singing French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy said when Michelle Obama recently presented her with a Swank acoustic guitar in turn.

While in Paris

Check out the prototypes of Lady Liberty. You can find them on the Île des Cygnes, in the Jardin du Luxembourg, and at the Musée des Arts et Métiers. And you can find a full-sized version of the torch at the entrance to the Pont de l’Alma tunnel. Nowadays, it serves double duty as the unofficial Princess Di memorial.

Bon Chance!

The post Perigot Bag Contest: Who gave Lady Liberty her structure? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.