Why was the Eiffel tower not made in Barcelona?

Answer 1

Short answer: they didn't want to pay for something as "ugly" as that

Long answer:

The exact reason why the Eiffel Tower was unwanted at the beginning will probably never be known. My art teacher elucubrated it was because every other structure (that wasn't a bridge) at the time was trying to cover up the internal structure that held it up (beams, columns, etc) while the Eiffel Tower left it widely exposed (after all, it was supposed to be taken down the following year).

Gladwell argues that it's a mistake [made by relying] on the first impressions of customers who are inherently biased against the unfamiliar.--http://artichokeconspiracy.wordpress.com/2006/07/08/eiffel-tower-is-or-was-ugly/

The English wikipedia article mainly points out how the Eiffel Tower was expected to clash with the rest of the city.

Eiffel originally planned to build the tower in Barcelona, for the Universal Exposition of 1888, but those responsible at the Barcelona city hall [the Consistory of Barcelona] thought it was a strange and expensive construction, which did not fit into the design of the city. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower#HistoryIronically, now Barcelona has several structures which it calls "its own Eiffel Tower": * The night lighting for the port (http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20081217/reclaiming-the-night)

* The Telecommunications tower (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Telecommunications-Tower-Barcelona-Architects-Blueprint/dp/1874235066) * The Sagrada Familia Cathedral

Once the Eiffel Tower was relocated to Paris, the fact that it had been turned down in Barcelona added to people's lack of appeal to it

Initially the idea of the Eiffel Tower was met with disdain by many members of the public who, probably influenced by the fact that Barcelona had rejected idea, were not pleased to have a Spanish reject relocated to France. --http://www.propertycommunity.com/property-in-france/126-the-eiffel-tower-and-its-impact-on-france.htmlThe protests reached their climax when 300 parisien artists got organized to send letters against the tower (http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761568563/Eiffel_Tower.html#s3) Apparently, once they saw how it looked in reality, and realized they'd have the world's tallest structure of their time, people favored the tower so much, that it was decided not to take it down. Barcelona learned from their mistake and now has "its own Eiffel Towers".