John Heffner

Quarter Two Report

Imagine, you're in England in 1851 and you're used to living in you're damp, dark

dwelling in the prime of the industrial revolution. Suddenly, you see the Crystal Palace constructed
right before your very eyes. This amazing structure changes your whole perspective on what a building
can be. Made of large glass panels, everything is bright and warm. A feeling you're definitely not used
to at this day in age if you're inside. Beautiful foliage and hand shaped wrought iron almost gave you a
feeling of royalty upon entering. Constructed in a time when buildings weren't necessarily known for
their beauty, this literal palace was truly a marvel for its time.

Drawing of the original Crystal Palace (1851)

In the late 1840's into 1850, England was dominating the industrial world. They wanted
to show off their advances in the industrial revolution so a request was made for an extravagant place to
hold what would be called the World Expo to be built. Four of England's smartest men ( Matthew
Digby Wyatt, Owen Jones, Charles Wild, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel) were assigned to come up
with a design worthy of the greatest exhibition in history states Bill Bryson in His book At Home.
By the way, there was a ten month deadline for the palace to be built (as if there wasn't enough stress of
the designers already!). Their design ended up being far too bleak and dreary for an event like this. The
design (along with 245 designs submitted by others) was declined.
Then came along sir Joseph Paxton. A hard working landscaper who at the time worked

for the Duke of Devonshire. Paxton was from a modest background, but was a very intelligent man. He
decided to submit a plan for the palace. It was initially turned down because it had wooden floors
which some thought could lead to a fire. But after nothing better turned up, Paxton's plans were chosen
as the way to go.
The Crystal Palace was constructed almost entirely of three materials. Wood, iron and
glass. According to Bryson, Paxton was very lucky with the timing of the exhibition. Since the plans he
created called for a tremendous amount of glass, it seemed to be a very food thing that the mass
production of glass was achieved just a few years before. Prior to the late 1830's, plate glass was the
main source of glass production which was hard, because it took up to ten days for the glass to cool
after being made which Paxton would not have had time for on his tight schedule. But in 1838, sheet
glass was invented. This had all the characteristics of plate glass but was much cheaper to produce and
cooled in a fraction of the time. Glass could now be created in mass amounts for far less money. Also
during this time, Britain had a glass tax. Also known as the Window tax, a household would be charged
a large sum of money for the number of windows it had (price also varied on size and location of the
window(s)). According to The Window Tax, the tax was raised six times between the years 1747 and
1808. It was eventually abolished in 1851, just in time for the erection of the Crystal Palace. It was
abolished because it was widely believed that houses not letting in enough natural light could be a
possible cause of illness or even death.
The palace was constructed of all prefabricated parts. It was 1,851 feet long (to represent
the year in which it was built) and 108 feet high at its peak. The building was originally only built for
the Great Exhibition. It was inteded to be torn down after. This goal was met because the original
Crystal Palace was taken down after the exhibition and rebuilt near the original site in Hyde Park. The
new palace was built in 1852, its dimensions within feet of the original. It was commenced by Queen
Victoria in 1854.
The new palace was cursed by bad luck and financial crisis states Crystal Palace: A

History. In 1866 a fire broke out and destroyed the north end of the building. The fire was due to the
constant light beaming on the wooden floors through the glass panels. I find this to be extremely ironic
considering this was a main concern in 1850 when Paxton submitted a plan with wooden floors.

Picture of the rebuilt Crystal Palace in 1854

Still considered to be one of the great wonders of the modern world, the Crystal Palace
inspired a new age of architecture. It was the beginning of the use of glass being a main ingredient in
building. Not just with larger structures, but with residential homes as well. In a way, it foreshadowed
how we would use glass and iron in construction today.
After the Great Exhibition, America made great leaps in the industrial field. Surpassing
Britain as the leader in technology. In 1851, the Crystal Palace showcased England's dominance over
the rest of the world technologically. I think it's demise in 1866 could be taken as a sign of England's
demise as a whole in the industrial world compared to America.
Paxton's Crystal Palace was the most innovative structure of its time hands down. It was
the beginning of the mass use of glass and modern construction. It was a sign of greater things to come
for mankind and I believe it will forever be considered one of the most important and influential
buildings ever constructed.