President-elect Donald Trump has suggested that a controversial steel tower erected for a UFC event in Las Vegas may become a permanent fixture, drawing sharp criticism from British architects who question its aesthetic merit. The structure, which dwarfs the Las Vegas Strip at 400 feet, was designed to evoke the Eiffel Tower and served as a promotional backdrop for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s New Year’s Eve bout. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said the tower had “tremendous potential” and could be repurposed as a tourist attraction.
“People love it. It’s powerful, it’s beautiful, it’s a knockout,” he said, deploying a pun that drew groans from the press pool. The Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation in London swiftly issued a statement decrying the proposal as “vulgar and derivative”.
“The Eiffel Tower is a masterpiece of wrought-iron engineering. This is a scaffold with a light show,” said architect Helena Carruthers in a phone interview. “It appears to have been designed with a primary objective of maximising sponsorship revenue rather than contributing to the built environment.
” The UFC has not confirmed whether the tower will remain. A spokesperson said the organisation was “evaluating all options”. Local officials in Clark County expressed surprise at the suggestion, noting that the structure was granted only a temporary permit.
“We have not received any request for a variance,” said a county planning officer. The episode underscores the unpredictable nature of Trump’s transition period, during which he has floated several non-traditional initiatives. His comments also revive broader debates about Las Vegas’s architectural ethos, where the line between authentic and imitation is frequently blurred.
As one British observer put it: “In Vegas, the ultimate victory is being noticed. The question is whether that should be a permanent scorecard.
