CHAPTER VII.

SITE AND CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDING.

The questions connected with the construction of the building, were surrounded with considerable difficulties, even to the best informed. It should be capable of containing specimens, not merely of all the manufactured products of the world, but also of all the raw materials now used, and even of such, as being presented to the attention of competent persons, might probably become useful hereafter.

The site of such a building, its fitness for its purpose, and the cost of its construction, were the chief points to be considered.

Its situation especially was the most important, because that circumstance would greatly influence the number of persons visiting the Exposition, and therefore the amount of the receipts out of which the building was to be paid for.

The first principle which should guide the choice of a site, is obviously the _convenience of visitors_; and a little observation, or a moderate share of common sense, will show how the principle should be applied.

It is known to all those who have observed the course of crowds of human beings going to and returning from some centre of attraction, that if the spot on which the assemblage is to take place is subject to our choice, much of the difficulty of the arrangements will be removed.

Other circumstances being equal, that site is the best which admits of the greatest number of independent channels by which the multitude can arrive and retire. The means of access should be so arranged that various divisions of the visitors would, according to the quarter in which they reside, naturally take each its own most convenient course, without the necessity of any instruction from police or attendants.

Various sites had been proposed. Hyde Park;—the Regent’s Park;—Primrose Hill, still more distant;—fields on the south side of the Thames intended to form Battersea Park.

It is fortunate that neither of the two latter was chosen, although they had many advocates: for in all probability the receipts would have been diminished by at least a third, if not by a half.

Various situations were pointed out in Hyde Park. One on the north nearly facing Hyde Park Gardens—one on the south nearly opposite the Barracks; this latter was ultimately chosen.

§ But a different position may be pointed out which combines so many advantages that it is much to be regretted it was not placed at the disposal of the Commission.

The distance between Cumberland Gate and the gate at Hyde Park Corner, is about 1,300 yards, or nearly three quarters of a mile. On the eastern side of the park, adjoining Park Lane, there is a narrow strip occupied by plantations, the circular reservoir and gardens.

On the open ground adjacent to this strip, but rather nearer to Cumberland Gate, the Crystal Palace might advantageously have been placed. Its length being nearly 629 yards, each end would have been about 350 yards from the two great roads of access. This site would have possessed the following advantages:—

1. Its distance from the north or south entrance of the park would, for the average of visitors, have been considerably less than that of the present site.

To persons standing at Hyde Park Corner or at Cumberland Gate, the respective ends of the building would have appeared, from its great elevation, almost close to them.

2. There are very few trees upon it, and those few are still young.

3. It is the highest ground in the park, and could, therefore, be better drained.

In its present position the building can scarcely be seen from either of those positions. It is above half a mile from Hyde Park Corner: whilst it is three quarters of a mile by footpath, and nearly a mile and a half by carriage drive from Cumberland Gate.

The large majority of visitors from the north and the south will enter the park through these two approaches. The average distance, therefore, which each will have to travel in the park, will be nearly three quarters of a mile.

Yards. The distance of the nearest end of the present building from Hyde Park Corner is about 940 From Cumberland Gate is, by footpath, about 1560 Ditto, by carriage, about 2490 The distance of the end of the proposed site from Hyde Park Corner, is about 375 Ditto, from Cumberland Gate 375

If we consider how many persons might have entered close to a building thus placed, through Grosvenor and Stanhope Gates, or through any temporary ones near them, it will be perceived that this average distance would in fact be much diminished.

Supposing that an equal number of visitors arrive by each approach, we have some means of approximating to one portion of the inconvenience and loss which the public will suffer from its present position.

In the first place the number of visitors has been variously estimated from one to seven millions. Let us suppose it to be four millions. Each of these four million visitors will, on an average, have to travel one mile and a quarter more than would have been necessary to go to and return from the Exposition. Thus five millions of miles will be uselessly traversed. If the expense of transport were one penny a-mile, and the value of time on an average four shillings a-day, the account would run thus—

2,000,000 persons travel 1½ mile. 1,000,000 ---------- 6) 3,000,000 miles at six miles per hour. ---------- 10) 500,000 hours. ---------- 4s.=⅕l.) 50,000 days of ten hours each. ------ 10,000l. value of lost time. ------

A similar calculation of the time lost by 2,000,000 persons travelling three miles an hour would give 13,333_l._

The expense of travelling at 1_d._ per mile of the first 2,000,000, who travel in carriages, gives—

12) 3,000,000 miles. --------- 20) 250,000 ------- 12,500l. cost of carr. of two millions 1½ mile each. 10,000l. cost of time of ditto. 13,333l. cost of time of two millions at 1 mile each. ------ 35,833l. total loss. ------

In this estimate the price of one penny a-mile may perhaps be thought high, especially when it is known that many will go on foot, others in omnibus, others in their own carriages: but in order to remain the same number of hours in the present building, from the extra time required to visit it, it will be necessary for many persons to spend one additional day in London, which could scarcely be done under twenty pence even by the poorest visitor.

The allowance of six miles an hour for travelling in omnibus or carriage, considering the stoppages of the one, and the crowd on the single road of approach for both, will be admitted to be moderate.

The rate of four shillings per day, or twenty-four shillings per week, as the value of the time of the visitors, will probably be thought less than its average value.

There can be no doubt that under these disadvantages the actual site must cause the loss of a large number of visitors, who would have partaken of the enjoyment in the more favourable position. The amount of _pure loss_ thus suffered by the visitors as a class, must be withdrawn from the sum they intended to expend on their visit.

One of the earliest acts of the Commission was to advertise for plans of a building suitable for their purpose.

Certain principles were laid down. It should be _temporary_ in its character—it should be economical in its cost—it should be fire-proof or nearly so—it should be built and fit for use in an inconceivably short time, and capable of being removed in still less.

A lithographed plan of the ground assigned for it, was circulated for the use of all who chose to make suggestions, or to compete for the prizes offered for the most approved designs; this insured a certain amount of uniformity in scale, which rendered comparison easier. Although, from necessity, a very short time could be allowed for preparation, yet 240 designs for the building were offered.

These were exhibited to the public at the apartments of the Society of Arts; a certain number of them were selected as worthy of praise, and some as deserving more substantial rewards.

There appears to have existed from the beginning in the public mind, not only in England but on the Continent, a belief that the Commissioners would not be very rigid in interpreting their rules. This was probably confirmed by the sudden and unlooked-for withdrawal of the large prizes that had been promised to the public at the commencement. Accordingly, the various plans seemed to vie with each other in violating the rules laid down by the Commission; those selected for reward were not the most consistent with them. In order to give confidence to the future, it would have been expedient, previously to examining their merits, to have rejected all which grossly violated the conditions proposed by the Commission.

Beautiful plans might be suggested for magnificent buildings, if the designers were alike reckless of cost and of time of construction, and those who had honestly confined themselves to the prescribed conditions felt, with some reason, aggrieved at finding the violators of them applauded and rewarded.

Although there was, in the opinion of the Commissioners, much of beauty and genius, and many suggestions of value, yet none of the plans approached their own idea of what was requisite. It was therefore resolved that the Commission should itself originate one, availing themselves of the hints contained in these plans.

In the mean time, Mr. Paxton, who had devised and successfully carried out a new kind of architecture, the chief material of which was glass, came to their assistance. He drew the plans of his singular design, and was fortunate enough to find in Messrs. Fox and Henderson a firm capable of supplying all those mechanical details necessary for its success, and even of contracting to execute the work in a period of time so short that it will probably long remain unrivalled in the art of construction.

The Commission accepted this offer, and the present beautiful building arose as if by magic. Amongst all the curious and singular products which the taste, the skill, the industry of the world, have confided to the judgment of England, there will be found within that crystal envelope, few whose manufacture can claim a higher share of our admiration than that palace itself, which shelters these splendid results of advanced civilization.

The building itself was regularly manufactured. Simple in its construction, and requiring the multiplied repetition of few parts, its fabrication was contrived with consummate skill. The internal economy with which its parts were made and put together on the spot was itself a most instructive study.[8]

[8] The reader will find very interesting details and drawings of this manufacture in the “Illustrated London News,” and in the “Expositor.”