Foundation engineering is a subject that can either bless or break the design engineer. If the foundation designer of the Tower of Pisa is practising today, the tilting of such prominent building would probably have cost him his practising license.
It is a known fact that the tilting of the Tower was caused by inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to adequately support the weight of the building structure. Since the tower complex took some two centuries to complete (12th to 14th), the designer never lived to see the lasting impact of his faulty design.
The Architect would have wanted the visitors to come and see the main Cathedral and the Baptistery of which all his major effort was put in. In the end, it is the bell tower, considered a minor building that people are drawn to.
The Architect would have wanted the visitors to come and see the main Cathedral and the Baptistery of which all his major effort was put in. In the end, it is the bell tower, considered a minor building that people are drawn to.
In this particular case, the faulty design turns this minor structure into an iconic building drawing millions to the city of Pisa. The draw of tourists to this structure in Italy is no less significant in comparison to the Eiffel Tower in France.
Each year 1 million visitors come to see this leaning tower. When I enter the only public toilet in the compound which charges 80 cents Euro per entry, I could imagine how the toilet operator would beam and laugh all the way to the bank.
It is unimaginable that the faulty design has turned out to be a revenue earner and a blessing to Italy. For this, the designers deserved to be forgiven for their mistakes and be nominated to the hall of fame!
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| Pisa Cathedral. |
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| Pisa Baptistery of St. John. |
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