How London's Crystal Palace was built so quickly

The Great Exhibition of London of 1851 attracted some 6 million people eager to experience more than 14,000 exhibitors showcasing 19th century marvels of technology and engineering. The event took place at the Crystal Palace, a 90,000-square-foot cast iron and plate glass building originally located in Hyde Park. And it was built in an incredible 190 days. According to a recent article published in the International Journal for the History of Engineering and Technology, one of the secrets was the use of a standardized thread, which was first proposed a decade before its construction, although the thread only officially became the British standard became. 1905.

“During the Victorian era there were incredible innovations from workshops across Britain that helped change the world,” says co-author John Gardner of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU). “In fact, progress has been so rapid that some breakthroughs may never have been properly achieved, as was the case here at Crystal Palace. Standardization in engineering is essential and common in the 21st century, but its role in the construction of the Crystal Palace was an important development.”

The design competition for what would become the Crystal Palace was launched in March 1850, with a deadline of four weeks later, and the actual, fully constructed building opened on May 1, 1851. The winning design, by Joseph Patterson, was only chosen. quite late in the game after numerous designs were rejected – most because they were simply too far over the £100,000 budget.

Patterson's design called for what was essentially a giant greenhouse, consisting of a multi-dimensional grid of 23-foot-tall modules. The design elements included 3,300 support columns with four flanged faces, drilled so they could be bolted to connectors and bases. (The hollow columns also served as stormwater drainage pipes.) The design also required diagonal bracing (also called cross bracing) for added stability.