Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace, famous exhibition hall designed by Sir Joseph Paxton for the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, England. Because of its great size and its innovative use of glass and iron in prefabricated units, it was a milestone in the development of modern architecture. After the exhibition closed, the prefabricated building was dismantled and then reconstructed at Sydenham in south London. The Crystal Palace was destroyed by fire in 1936. See also Modern Architecture.