Creating the right internal climate for the Crystal Palace

Abstract

This paper explores Joseph Paxton's experiments with climate control inside glasshouses between 1830 and 1850 and how he exploited this experience to achieve the right internal climate for the 1851 Crystal Palace in Hyde Park. The first part investigates various solutions for ventilation and the management of solar radiation, heat loss and humidity inside glass structures that Paxton had developed before his engagement at Hyde Park. It also shows how these solutions were appropriated for Hyde Park and discusses the various alternative ventilation, shading and cooling arrangements that Paxton investigated for the palace before adopting the final strategy. The final section is a brief analysis of the actual performance of the building and explores the steps taken to improve the ventilation. This post-occupancy history suggests that Paxton's previous experience was insufficient to be entirely successful for the Crystal Palace, but it provided Paxton with new insights that informed his design for the ventilation system deployed in the second Crystal Palace at Sydenham (1852–1854).