Who designed the Crystal Palace in London?

Who designed the Crystal Palace in London?

• A. Sir Joseph Paxton
• B. Antoni Gaudi
• C. Le Corbusier
• D. Frank Lloyd Wright

Answer: (A)

This question hinges on recognizing the designer behind one of the era’s most famous iron-and-glass structures. The Crystal Palace in London, built for the Great Exhibition of 1851, was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton. Paxton wasn’t a traditional architect; he was a prolific gardener who designed large glasshouses, like those at Chatsworth, and he brought that experience to create a vast, modular system of standardized iron columns and glass panes. This approach allowed the building to be assembled into an enormous, luminous interior that showcased industrial-age construction. The other figures mentioned—Gaudí, Le Corbusier, Wright—are associated with later movements and different projects, not this structure.

This question hinges on recognizing the designer behind one of the era’s most famous iron-and-glass structures. The Crystal Palace in London, built for the Great Exhibition of 1851, was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton. Paxton wasn’t a traditional architect; he was a prolific gardener who designed large glasshouses, like those at Chatsworth, and he brought that experience to create a vast, modular system of standardized iron columns and glass panes. This approach allowed the building to be assembled into an enormous, luminous interior that showcased industrial-age construction. The other figures mentioned—Gaudí, Le Corbusier, Wright—are associated with later movements and different projects, not this structure.