Crystal Palace in London, England (1850-1851) by Sir Joseph Paxton

in The Valuer journal (October 1988) by David Lancaster:

"Historical past of the Crystal Palace

Henry Cole's Thought

The Crystal Palace was first erected in Hyde Park in 1850-51 to deal with the world's first worldwide commerce honest, the Nice Exhibition of 1851. The Exhibition's origins lay within the nationwide exhibitions of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), and notably within the Paris Exposition of 1849. One customer to Paris who was notably impressed was a number one RSA member, Henry Cole. On returning to London, Cole put ahead his thought for a grand exhibition to different RSA members, together with the President, Prince Albert. Albert gave the undertaking his approval and he determined that the occasion needs to be worldwide.

All Designs Rejected

At first, the intention was to deal with the exhibition in Somerset Home however it quickly grew to become obvious that rather more area can be wanted and, subsequently, a brand new exhibition constructing. The positioning chosen for the exhibition was a 22-acre plot within the southern a part of Hyde Park. The positioning having been secured, the following stage was to pick a design for the short-term exhibition constructing. A constructing committee was appointed and included no lesser figures than Sir William Cubitt, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Charles Barry and Robert Stephenson. The committee organised a contest for the design of the constructing and 245 entries had been obtained. The committee was unable to resolve in favour of any of the designs, and so produced its personal model. This design proved so disastrous that it threatened to scupper all the undertaking. After being printed within the newspapers the proposed edifice was scorned and ridiculed virtually unanimously. With lower than a 12 months earlier than the supposed opening the exhibition wanted a saviour. It was to seek out one within the unlikely type of a gardener.

Joseph Paxton, who on the age of 23 had been appointed head gardener to the Duke of Devonshire property at Chatsworth, had been conducting quite a few experiments in glass home design. The end result of this work had been the Nice Palm Range and the Lily Home. The design of the latter was mentioned to have been primarily based on the construction of the lily Victoria Regia (identified right this moment as Victoria Amazonica) which the glass home was constructed to accommodate. Paxton was informed of the committee's dilemma and persuaded them to permit him to submit a design. The committee agreed, and 9 days later he offered his plans. The brand new proposal was for a glass and iron construction primarily based on the Chatsworth Lily Home however on a a lot bigger scale. It was to be of modular building of three tiers, primarily based on a 24ft dice and reaching a most peak of 64ft, the size and width being 1,848 and 408ft respectively.

Saving the Elm Bushes

The committee ultimately accepted the design after one main modification had been made. Opponents of the exhibition had fought bitterly in opposition to the slicing down of elm bushes on the proposed web site, and particularly three massive elms reverse the Prince of Wales Gate. The committee requested the contractors Messrs Fox & Henderson, to change the design in order to surround the bushes. The consequence was the barrel-vaulted transept which was to be the constructing's most sleek and distinguishing function. The constructing was dubbed 'The Crystal Palace' by Douglas Jerrold writing for Punch journal in 1850.

Messrs Fox & Henderson's tender for the contract for £79,800 had been submitted along with Paxton's plans, with the proviso that they might preserve the constructing's elements when the construction was disassembled following the exhibition. They took possession of the location in July 1850 and instantly erected hoardings utilizing the timbers that may ultimately change into the constructing's floorboards. Subsequent got here the setting out of the constructing, stakes being pushed into the bottom to mark the approximate positions of the forged iron columns. The positions had been then decided precisely utilizing a theodolite, and base plates for the columns had been set into concrete foundations. The columns had been elevated into place utilizing shear-legs, a easy equipment consisting of two poles lashed collectively on the high, and maintained in a vertical place by man ropes extending from the apex of the triangle shaped by the poles to stakes pushed into the bottom a long way away. Pulleys had been suspended from the apex, and ropes passing over the pulleys had been used to boost the columns, girders and different components.

The Edifice Rises

A connecting-piece was connected to the highest of every column previous to its erection. As quickly as two adjoining columns had been erected a girder was hoisted into place between the columns and bolted to the connecting-pieces. The columns had been erected in reverse pairs, then two extra girders had been related in order to type a sq. or bay. The shear-legs would then be moved and an adjoining bay constructed. When an affordable variety of bays had been accomplished, the columns for the primary ground (second tier) had been erected. Longer shear-legs had been used, however the operation was primarily the identical as for the bottom ground. The second ground adopted when the primary ground was full.

The 16 semi-circular ribs for the vaulted transept had been product of wooden, raised into place as eight pairs. All had been fastened into place inside per week. Wooden was additionally used for the floorboards, glazing bars and gutters. The downpipes for the gutters had been the hole help columns.

The large amount of glass required, 900,000 sq ft, posed an issue for the producers, Probability Brothers of Birmingham, which they solved by taking up French and Belgian glassblowers. The panes of glass had been usually 4 ft by 10 inches. The glazing of the roof, together with the transept, was in a ridge and furrow sample, this association letting in loads of mild and facilitating drainage.

Knighthoods

The constructing was accomplished inside 5 months and the exhibition opened on schedule on 1 Could 1851. The exhibition's success is well-documented and was due in no small half to the majestic great thing about the Crystal Palace. Following the exhibition Paxton, Fox and Cubitt had been knighted. However what was to change into of the Crystal Palace? Debate raged for a lot of months, with Paxton vigorously interesting for its retention in Hyde Park as a winter backyard, however to no avail. Parliament decreed that it should be eliminated. Anticipating the result, Paxton had already shaped the Crystal Palace Firm. The share subject raised £1.3 million and the corporate was capable of purchase the palace from Fox & Henderson and purchase a brand new web site on the summit of Sydenham Hill in Kent.

A New Palace

The Crystal Palace was faraway from Hyde Park within the autumn of 1852 and the elements taken to Sydenham. Paxton took this chance to reinforce the constructing by including additional tiers and growing the peak and width of the central transept. Two smaller transepts had been added to protect proportions, and the nave was given a barrel vault. The size of this new palace was 1,608ft (240ft shorter than the unique), the width 312ft and the peak of the central transept 168ft. The development was just like the Hyde Park constructing, however the transept ribs had been now of iron.

The event of the grounds and gardens consumed significantly more cash than the re-erection of the constructing. A collection of fountains was constructed which in flip necessitated the constructing of two 284ft excessive water towers, designed by Brunel, at both finish of the palace. The Sydenham Crystal Palace was opened by Queen Victoria in June 1854, and have become a longtime venue for main exhibitions, balloon ascents, concert events and sporting occasions.

Throughout the night of 30 November 1936, the Crystal Palace was completely destroyed by fireplace, the reason for which has by no means been ascertained. Brunel's water towers had been spared, however had been to face for simply 4 extra years earlier than being demolished throughout the Second World Conflict.

The Web site Immediately

The palace might have been gone for a few years however there are nonetheless many reminders of the halcyon days. The terraces and steps stay as do the sphinxes and a few statues. The bust of Paxton by W.F. Woodington, nonetheless in wonderful situation, overlooks Crystal Palace Park from its place on the Centre Stroll. The retaining wall of the decrease terrace remains to be there however in critical want of restoration. The vaulted subway beneath Crystal Palace Parade, which used to hyperlink the Palace with the Excessive Degree railway station, is a listed constructing however is closed to the general public.

The Crystal Palace Museum is housed within the former Crystal Palace College of Engineering, a constructing courting from the 1870s. Adjoining to the museum is the bottom of Brunel's south tower which was taken down brick-by-brick throughout the Second World Conflict. On the different finish of the location, the bottom of the north tower is partially lined by vegetation and a part of the aquarium, together with reservoir tanks and the tiled ground, are seen.

Within the decrease a part of Crystal Palace Park many options nonetheless survive. The prehistoric animals (nationally listed at Grade I) and modelled by Waterhouse Hawkins nonetheless lurk menacingly on islands throughout the lake, and one of many unique fountain basins survives. The Low Degree railway station remains to be in use and has been largely renovated. A brand new entrance, a Crystal Palace transept in miniature, was constructed within the late Eighties."