Question

n May 1851 the grand opening ceremony for the “Great Exhibition of Works of Industry of All Nations” was in the Crystal Palace, in London’s Hyde Park. What were the two main building materials used in the Crystal Palace and who was the architect?

Answer

The Crystal Palace was designed by British greenhouse architect Joseph Paxton using mostly cast iron and glass. Massive but ethereal, many early visitors expected it to collapse. Constructed off site then erected at Hyde Park, it helped stimulate the use of exposed and decorative cast iron.