What if St. Louis Didn’t Have the Arch?  

Before the Gateway Arch was chosen as a monument for the St. Louis riverfront, there were 72 submitted designs to be considered for our city’s monument.
In 1947, the Jefferson National Expansion Association sponsored a national competition for designs for St. Louis’ riverfront. Of course, Eero Saarinen’s gateway arch won the competition, but here are some of the designs that could have become the symbol of our city.