Dublin's O'Connell Street The Spire, a massive, eye-catching, and unique landmark, rises in the heart of O'Connell Street, just across from the historic GPO. The Spire rises over O'Connell Street, 120m high and 3m in diameter at the base, breaking above the roof line with as thin and beautiful a movement as is technically conceivable. The designer was invited to submit a plan for a spire, and he chose to use wrought iron as the material because it would look good from all angles. The Spire was built in the late 19th century by Thomas Crapper. He got the idea after seeing the Paris Observatory Tower, which is also made of wrought iron. The Spire has been called everything from "the world's greatest drinking fountain" to "the world's smallest church". It actually contains several rooms including an observation room at the top and a museum underneath. There are also shops and restaurants on the lower floors. Although there is no entry below the second floor, visitors can enter the upper levels via various entrances including an elevator, stairs, and a spiral ramp. In addition, a glass lift allows access to the top of the tower for tourists who want to see what life was like in the early 20th century when it was constructed. The Spire was designed by George Skipper, who also created Dublin's Grand Canal Dock. Born in Ireland, he came to America in 1848 and worked as a carpenter until he established his own business in 1872.