Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace(front)
- Designed by Sir Joseph Paxton.
- World fairs were held within this building.
- The structure was mainly made out of steel and glass.
From first glance the Crystal Palace resembles a huge greenhouse. It's arched glass ceiling echoes the elements of a greenhouse. These elements were put in place by Paxton who was an innovator of steel and glass greenhouses.( Ching, 664). Paxton played these elements up even more by adding plants and trees in the inside of the the nave of the building. Many plants and trees died due to the heat and humidity within the palace. A lot of contrast was added to the building with the actual people who were on exhibit in the building. These people were usually slaves and native americans. There ancient setups and customs were opposite to the new innovation of steel and glass.
Trees & vegetation in the Crystal Palace
Many fairs were held within the palace. These fairs would sort of advertise new products on the market. These products were mass produced or handcrafted products from other cultures. Millions of people flocked to these fairs to buys materials and to view the structure and exhibits.
Paxton's idea for the Crystal Palace was for it to look delicate, but large at the same time. The palace consist of light weight elements that were built on site.(Ching, 664).
Present Day
Greensboro Coliseum
The Crystal Palace in many ways remind me of the Greensboro Coliseum. Architecturally the glass on the coliseum and the palace echo each other. The pattern of the glass and the support beams are very similar. I have also seen many plants within the Greensboro coliseum as well.
This weekend the coliseum held the craftsman show, which they have every year. In the craftsman show are a couple hundred artists selling their handcrafted artwork. It's sort of like fairs they used to have in the Crystal palace.
In today's culture we still have many conventions that cover things from anime to apple products. I feel that the innovation of the Crystal Palace influenced the fairs and conventions that we have today.
Sources
en.wikipedia.org
londonwalkblog.blogspot.com
tigerrag.com
Great understanding of the reading and connection to today! Good job!
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