The Industrial Revolution paved the way for new building forms, materials and construction processes to emerge. Technological advances in industrial materials led to cast iron, steel and glass emerging into the architecture industry. These materials allowed for experimentation in building leading to new urban forms to arise. The evolution of architecture throughout the industrial age was inspired by industrial expansion, the development of mechanics, electricity, and, lastly, early computerization. The technological competition between industrialized countries, displaying their technical, economic, and cultural dominance, drove development.
As a result of this series of breakthroughs resulted in the British iron and steel industry being liberated from natural resources like wood and charcoal, encouraging a shift towards the coal fields. Soon, abundant, inexpensive iron became a distinguishing feature of Britain’s early phases of the Industrial Revolution. Cast iron was mainly used in transportation, for building bridges, exploring fire resistance sites and other civil-engineering applications such as Thomas Telford’s revolutionary cast-iron aqueducts. Steel was yet to be accessible for most of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Advancements in the iron-making industry aided in the construction of bridges and other structures. Large interior spaces for industries, factories and transportation hubs were not achievable due to the vast spans of sturdy iron frameworks. Prior to the late nineteenth century, the weight of a multi-story structure was sustained mainly by the strength of its walls. With the introduction of iron components and explicit engineering techniques, prominent skyscrapers could be built without straining the lower levels. Smelted iron and machined steel complemented wood, brick and stone, becoming essential building materials.
Breakthroughs in History
The first of its kind in the amalgamation of iron and glass into a structure was in the early 1800s, the construction of The Crystal Palace. Englishman Abraham Darby devised a cheap, simple technique of producing cast iron using a coke-fueled (rather than a charcoal-fired) furnace in the early 18th century. This breakthrough was critical in not only providing materials for the Crystal Palace but as well as for tools and infrastructure for construction. Steam engines were used to transport material, and new technology was used for smelting iron. The Crystal Palace was one of the significant advancements in using mass-manufactured materials with quick assembly. Gigantic spaces were quickly erected with a skeleton of cast-iron columns supported by a network of girders. The Crystal Palace later hosted the Great Exhibition of 1851, a revolutionary idea by Prince Albert’s vision to display the advancements of industry from around the world. Exhibitions like these spurred various innovations and celebrated the amalgamation of technology into the architecture industry.
Another example of a technological marvel, iron, was chosen to construct a 1,000-foot-tall tower; it was more reliable than a timber or stone structure, and reinforced concrete was not accessible at the time. Using puddled iron resulted in the removal of superfluous carbon, further strengthening the iron while also making it lighter and less stiff. The tower is made of iron lattice and has three storeys that give amazing panoramic views of Paris from various heights. The Eiffel Tower was initially supposed to be a temporary project, built as a commemoration symbol for only 20 years. However, it was preserved for its functionality as a radio transmission tower, which proved vital for intercepting enemy transmissions during World War I. Today, the Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most celebrated monuments. It became an enduring emblem of Paris and France and an architectural wonder, historical landmark, and significant cultural icon. While The Crystal Palace was the first Expo location to reinvent the approach to building design totally, Gustave Eiffel’s iconic skeleton of the Eiffel Tower, built in 1889, inspired the upcoming Expos.
Influence of Expos on Innovation
World Expos played a significant role in spurring various architectural improvements. These pavilions are distinguished by their experimental nature and have proven to be laboratories for innovation over the years. The Expos celebrated the true spirit of the invention, celebrating every experiment collaborating and sharing both success and failure. The Crystal Palace of 1851 and the Eiffel Tower of 1889 were architectural wonders that pushed innovative boundaries but also were monumental for industry, ushering in a new era of materials, design, and building processes. A far more urbanized population was emerging, and society demanded large structures. To accommodate the increase, downtown regions in major cities began to remodel themselves by the middle of the nineteenth century with new roads and buildings. Steel mass manufacturing was the primary driving factor behind the capabilities.
Both structures heralded a new era for large-scale items, ushering in the engineering construction method. While architecture has been advancing through the world, these Expos have become integral in expanding on these innovations and genuinely reflecting on the architectural momentum of the time. Expos have also been responsible for developing grid structures, such as the Festival Roof tension skins and air-inflated pneumatic envelopes (Davis, Brody) at the United States pavilion.
References:
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