The Crystal Palace
How many exhibitors gathered from around the world?
14,000 (100,000 exhibits)
When was the building committee created and what did they do?
1850- held a competition to design the building and judged 240 submitted plans
size
1851 x 128 feet
How many times did Queen Victoria visit the building?
41 times
What were the two halves of the building dedicated to?
one half to Great Britain and the other to the rest of the world
What is the name given to describe parts being built in the factory but assembled on site?
prefabricated
What was employed on a grander scale than ever before?
prefabrication
What did ferrovitreous architecture provide (4)
strength, durability, simplicity of construction and speed
What did Joseph Paxton do after seeing no plans were chosen?
submitted an ingenious plan and published it in the Illustrated London Newspaper to gain public support?
What did Great Britain hope to show?
technology, particularly their own was the key to a better future
What was created for the Great Exhibition?
the Inauguration medal with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on one side and Crystal Palace on the other
What was the Crystal Palace a symbol of?
the Victorian Age and the advancing technological achievements during the English industrial revolution
What did the great industrial exhibition reflect?
the age of industry and Great Britain as leaders of the industrial revolution
Who was the colour scheme chosen by and in what proportion?
the blues, reds and yellows were chosen by Owen Jones in the proportions they appeared in nature
What was recently invented to allow for cheap and strong glass to be made quickly?
the cast plate glass method in 1848 - the building included the largest amount of glass ever seen which astonished visitors
Why did he apply glass and iron to his plans for The Crystal Palace?
the combination of the materials were strong and durable
What was held for the first time at The Crystal Palace?
the first international trade show (the great exhibition - previously all the trade shows were national)
Who was Joseph Paxton?
the head gardener at Chatsworth (not an architect)
What was the building commissioned as a response to?
the highly successful French industrial Exposition of 1844
What did the exhibitor display?
the latest technology developed in the industrial revolution
Why was the building quickly constructed?
the modular units of glass and iron were easily repeatable, quick to assemble, strong when erected and cheap to make
what was the purpose of the internal tripartite elevation?
to accommodate the visitors
What was opened to serve permanent exhibition in Sydenham?
two railway stations
When did Paxton experiment with ferrovitreous design?
when he was creating greenhouses for the Duke of Devonshire as a gardener.
What was the framework made from?
wood
Date
1851
what is the type of architecture used?
ferrovetrious
who were the iron contractors?
the famous Fox and Henderson company
How many plans met the conditions?
none
what did DM Reynolds say about the Crystal Palace construction?
"the entire structure was essentially composed of multiple standard units, which meant that assembly on site was easy and fast."
Who built The Crystal Palace?
5000 navvies (up to 2000 on site at once)
How long did it take to build The Crystal Palace?
6 months (an unprecedented speed in the history of architecture)
How many square feet did the building consist of?
990,000
What are some of the sections included in The Crystal Palace (4)
Egyptian section, Islamic section, Medieval section, Greek plaster cast section
Who were the members of the building committee?
England's most famous architects and engineers.
original location
Hyde Park, moved to Sydenham (destroyed in fire in 1936)
Architect
Joseph Paxton
Who was the contract for refreshments awarded to?
Mr Schweppes
Commission
Prince Albert and the Royal society of arts
What did the Crystal Palace house in Hyde Park?
The great industrial exhibition of 1851
what did Joseph Paxton receive in recognition of his work?
a knighthood
What was prince Albert considered as?
a philanthropist
What did Jennings add?
a slot machine where people had to pay 1 penny to use the facilities - he ended up making a huge profit.
What was this building referred to as?
a temple of commerce (reflect the morality of Victorian England and relate it to the morality found in religion)
What was built around the site and later used?
a wooden fence which was used for the floorboards
What did the submission of Paxton's design generate?
an enthusiastic response and his design was accepted
Who provided the glass and how much did they provide?
around 900,000 sq feet of glass was provided by the Chance Brothers Company in Birmingham
Because of its clear walls, what did The Crystal Palace not require?
artificial light
how was this building innovative ?
as a temporary building it was made from glass and iron as opposed to brick and stone
What did the layout call to mind and how?
church design- barrel vault above a wide nave-like opening and transept-like wings et either side
What did Queen Victoria do?
conducted the opening ceremony once erected
What were the conditions for the competition?
design had to be strong, speedily constructed and economical in time for the opening day on May 1st 1851
what was the ridge and furrow technique?
edges of glass frames slotting into wooden grooved frames later clad in iron
What happened to The Crystal Palace when it was moved to Sydenham?
enlarged and was used for concerts and international/cultural exhibitions
materials
glass and iron
What technique did Paxton apply to his designs?
his famous ridge and furrow technique
why is the sizing important?
it complimented the year it was created in
how was the building funded?
it relied on investments as there was no government funding
What happened to the building after the Great Exhibition of 1851?
it was dismantled and moved to a larger space in Sydenham in 1854 (where it was re-erected and enlarged)
What was enclosed within the exhibition?
living elm trees near the 27-foot tall Crystal fountain
