It was planned that the Tower of Jewels should be the great dominating
feature of the architectural scheme of the Exposition; that this unit
more than any other should stand as a triumphal monument to celebrate
the opening of the Panama Canal. The mural paintings, the sculpture and
the inscriptions all carry out this idea, but the tower, in its
architectural aspect alone, fails to live up fully to its purpose. It
serves well to "center" the whole scheme, and to afford an imposing pile
at the main entrance. Nevertheless it falls short of the high
architectural standard of the courts and palaces.