The Eiffel Tower was originally built to be torn down after 20 years.

Gustave Eiffel’s tower was constructed as the entrance arch for the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, built under a permit that required it to be dismantled after 20 years, in 1909. Many Parisian artists and intellectuals petitioned against it as an eyesore before it was even finished.

What saved it was radio. The tower’s height made it valuable as an antenna for wireless telegraphy, and the French military found it useful enough for long-distance communication that the demolition order was quietly dropped. It has stood ever since, growing into the most recognizable landmark in France.