This May marks the 175th anniversary of the construction of one of the greatest and most influential conservatories ever built, one that still inspires generations of bespoke orangery and conservatory projects to this day.
Much of what we do, particularly when it comes to traditional conservatory designs inspired by what we now call the “Golden Age” of conservatory design, can be directly traced to the pioneering work of one of Great Britain’s greatest lost landmarks.
From 1851 up until 1936, the Crystal Palace stood as a crowning achievement of engineering, design and success against impossible odds, but what lessons can homeowners and designers learn today from its design, construction and colourful history?
How Was A Beautiful Conservatory Made So Quickly?
The first amazing fact about the Crystal Palace is that it was not even supposed to stand for a year, let alone the 85 years that it would ultimately endure, which begs the question of how a temporary structure was ultimately built to last so well.
Part of the reason for this was a mix of location and time; the Great Exhibition for which the Crystal Palace would be built was set to be built in London’s Hyde Park, and would need to be taken down afterwards.
As well as this, whilst the event was scheduled to begin on 1st May 1851, the commission only established itself in January the year prior, and it would take two further months for them to be in a position to take submissions.
Because the commission had barely over a year to organise the event, the building needed to be cheap, possible to build within the time, simple and easily taken down after the event.
Whilst 246 entries were submitted, it was Joseph Paxton’s reputation for grand glass and steel designs that ultimately led to his design being selected.
The secret behind its success is that whilst it appeared to be grand, opulent and distinctive, every single element was designed based on the specification of plate glass available at the time.
This allowed him to make a huge, grand statement of a building for a remarkably low cost and in record time. It was built in eight months at a budget of just £85,800 (£10.3m adjusted for inflation).
What this proves to conservatory designers is that modular components and prefabricated design elements do not preclude them from making unique and incredibly beautiful outbuildings that match the style of the home they are fitted to.
Should A Huge Conservatory Take Over Your Garden?
One of the most impressive feats of the Crystal Palace, outside of its size, scale, unprecedented levels of daylighting potential and both aesthetic and technological breakthroughs, is how well it harmonised with Hyde Park.
As with many world’s fairs and grand exhibitions of this scale, there was a strong opposition to its construction, based partly on its perceived expense but also based on the potential it had to damage Hyde Park, a vital public area created in 1637.
One issue that designers struggled to get around was the presence of several huge, historic elm trees on the proposed site.
Most designers, including Mr Paxton’s initial blueprints for the Crystal Palace, involved cutting them down, but the highly influential gardener and innovator of garden glasshouses devised a solution partway through construction.
The huge barrel roof that became the signature feature of Crystal Palace was initially a practical consideration; the round roof was tall enough, strong enough and allowed enough light in for the elm trees to remain in place, becoming a distinctive signature feature of the conservatory.
Whilst it did attract enough sparrows into the hall to annoy visitors, the fact that the building was large enough to house full-sized trees was an innovation that truly embodied what a conservatory should be.
Conservatories are neither an extension to your house nor an encroachment of your garden, but the integration of indoor and outdoor spaces that provides the comforts of home with the refreshing feel of your garden.
It also highlights the importance of adapting designs to the existing garden space. Ideally, this should be completed in advance of the commencement of work, but Mr Paxton’s adaptability allowed him to make adjustments very quickly.
How Did A Temporary Conservatory Stand For Decades?
This design proved to be so beloved that, whilst it was planned to be dismantled once the six-month Great Exhibition ended, the decision was made to relocate the building from Hyde Park to Sydenham Hill as a long-term solution.
The reconstruction was complicated and has been compared to a reverse Ship Of Theseus; It was bigger, taller, grander and more spectacular than its initial form, but retained much of the materials and design DNA of the original building, which helped it to endure despite still being a “temporary” building.
Ironically, the issues that arguably led to its end were caused by permanent fixtures on the site; the expensive gardens, the infamous Crystal Palace Dinosaurs and the distinctive fountains were all costly additions that led to a building which cost ten times as much as the original.
How Can We Better Protect And Look After Conservatories?
There are two facts most people today know about Crystal Palace: it was one of the finest conservatories ever built in 1851, and it was the victim of a devastating fire in 1936.
Whilst the latter is characterised as an exceptionally tragic accident, the reality is that decades of neglect had left the Palace in a state where it could quickly burn down.
Following its relocation and reopening in 1854, the “Palace of the People” ran at a near-constant loss, largely hampered by the fact that it was closed on Sundays, the only day its target audience had off.
In 1909, the ownership group of Crystal Palace declared bankruptcy and the building was very nearly sold.
This disrepair, whilst not causing the fire on 30th November 1936, allowed it to spread as rapidly as it did, causing almost total destruction of the country’s greatest conservatory overnight.
From this tragedy comes an important lesson in regular maintenance, care and use of conservatories; keeping them used encourages their continued maintenance, cleanliness and ensures they provide years of happy memories.