AAYOJAN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, JAIPUR

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE-III
SEMINAR REPORT
ON
THE GREAT EXHIBITIONS

ANIMA JAIN
ANIL JANGID
THIRD YEAR V SEMESTER B ARCH
BATCH NO.:07
INTRODUCTION: TOWARDS THE END OF THE CENTURY,
WHEN INDUSTRY LOST THEIR CREATIVE FORCE.NEW PROBLEM
HAD EMERGED WHICH DEMAND NEW SOLUTIONS.
-THE EXHIBITIONS WERE BORN ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY
WITH MODERN INDUSTRY.AND APPEARED AT THE TIME WHEN
THE SHIFT FROM HAND WORK TO MACHINE PRODUCTION
MADE ITSELF OBVIOUS.MANY COUNTRIES WERE WORKING TO
INVENT NEW MACHINES AND NEW PROCESSES.
OBJECTIVES: TO BRING TOGETHER THE RESULTS OF THIS
WORK, TO DISPLAY THE NEW DISCOVERIES SIDE BY SIDE, AND
THUS TO FACILATE THEIR COMPARISON AND ADOPTION.
-THE IMPLEMENTS, METHODS AND PRODUCT OF MINES, MILLS,
MACHINE SHOPS AND FARMS WERE ON DISPLAY, TOGETHER
WITH WORK IN THE FINE AND THE APPLIED ARTS.
THE GREAT EXHIBITION, LONDON, 1851:
-THE CRYSTAL PALACE HOUSED AN EXHIBITION THAT WAS THE
FIRST OF ITS KIND, ONE THAT REFLECTED THE COURAGE AND
ENTERPRISE OF THE EARLY VICTORIAN PERIOD.THE PRINCE
CONSOT, ALBERT AND SIR HENRY COLE WERE ITS LEADING
SPIRITS AND IT WAS THE FORMER WHO GAVE IT A CENTRAL
THEME.
-ITS BUILDER, JOSEPH PAXTON USED THE’RIDGE AND
FURROW’COMSTRUCTION EMPLOYED IN THE GREENHOUSE
WHICH WERE USED TO PROTECT THE TROPICAL PLANTS AT
CHATSWORTH.
-THE DESIGN OF THE WHOLE BUILDING WAS PLANNED AROUND
THE LARGEST STANDARD SHEET OF GLASS, WHICH WAS ONLY 4
FEET LONG.
-THERE ARE THE WOODEN RIDGE AND FURROW FRAMES FOR
THE GLASS, THE IRON LATTICE GIRDERS ON WHICH THE PANES
WERE RESTED AND THE CAST IRON SUPPORTING PILLARS-
BOLTED TOGETHER FLOOR BY FLOOR.
-IN THIS MANNER A BUILDING WLTH A GROUND AREA OF SOME
EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.
-ITS LENGTH WAS 1851 FEET TO CORRESPOND WITH THE DATE
OF ERECTION.
 CRYSTAL PALACE, SYDENHAM.

-THE BARREL VAULT IN ITS TRANSEPT HAD A WOODEN

FRAMEWORK AND ITS SPAN OF 72 FEET WAS LESS THAN THAT
MANY MEDIEVAL BUILDING.
-IT WAS, IN ADDITION, THE FIRST BUILDING OF SUCH
DIMENSIONS CONSTRUCTED OF GLASS, IRON AND TIMBER
OVER A FRAMEWORK OF CAST AND WROUGHT IRON GIRDERS
ACCURATELY BOLTED TOGETHER.
-THE CRYSTAL PALACE IS A REVOLUTION IN ARCHITECTURE
FROM WHICH A NEW STYLE WILL DATE.
-IN CRYSTAL PALACE AN ARTISTIC CONCEPTION
OUTDISTANCES THE TECHNICAL POSSIBILITIES OF THE ERA-
SOMETHING WHICH IS VERY RARE IN THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY
THE UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION, PARIS, 1855:
-THE PALAIS DE I’INDUSTRIE WAS A RECTANGULAR
STRUCTURE WITH A HIGH CENTER AISLE WHICH WAS
SURROUNDING BY A DOUBLE ROW OF GALLERIES.THE LOW
SIDE AISLES WERE SUPPORTED BY NUMEROUS CAST IRON
PILLARS.
-THE CENTER AISLE CONNECTED WITH ONE OF THOSE
CIRCULAR PANORAMAS SO POPULAR AT THE TIME AND WITH
THE 1200 METER GALLERIE DES MACHINES WHICH EXTENDED
ALONG THE SEINE.IT HAD A SPAN OF 48 METERS.
-THIS WAS THE WIDEST VAULTING ATTEMPTED IN THIS PERIOD.
-IT REPRESENTS A GREAT ADVANCE OVER WHAT WAS
ACHIEVED IN THE CRYSTAL PALACE, WITH ITS SPAN OF ABOUT
22 METERS.
-WROUGHT IRON LATTICE GIRDERS, PARTIALLY HAND FORGED
WERE USED.
-THE ENORMOUS AREA OF GLASS INTRODUCED INTO THE
VAULTING ALMOST BLENDED CONTEMPORARY SPECTATORS
WHO WERE UNACCUSTOMED TO THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT WAS
ADMITTED.

INTERIOR OF THE MAIN BUILDING.SPAN OF 48 M VERY GREAT

FOR THAT PERIOD.NO TIE BARS WERE USED, BUT THEY WERE
AVOIDED ARTIFICIALLY, THROUGH THE USE OF HEAVY
BUTTRESSES.
UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION, PARIS, 1855.PLAN.

THE HALL OF MACHINES PARIS, 1855

-NO TIE BARS ENCROCH UPON THE FREE SPACE, INSPITE THE
BOLD SPAN OF NERALY 50 METERS.
-IN THIS EXHIBITION A COMBINATION OF A WIDE SPAN WITH A
LIGHT CONSTRUCTION WAS ATTEMPTED BEFORE THE
APPROPRIATE METHODS HAD BEEN DISCOVERED.
-THE MAIN BUILDING WAS COMPLETELY ENCASED IN HEAVY
STONE WALLS AND INCLUDED AN IMMENSE TRIMPHUL ARCH.

PARIS EXHIBITION OF 1867

-THE EXTERNAL CONTOUR OF THE EXHIBITION BUILDING WAS
INTENDED TO SYMBOLIZE THE GLOBE.
-WHEN THE CHAMP DE MARS WAS CHOOSEN AS SITE IT
BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO GIVE THE BUILDING A CIRCULAR
OUTLINE, AND IT WAS DESIGNED AS ELLIPSE INSTEAD.
-THE LONG AXIS WAS 490 METERS AND THE SHORT AXIS 386
METERS.
-WITHIN THE ELLIPTICAL MAIN EXHIBITION BUILDING 7
CONCENTRIC GALLERIES WERE PLACED EACH CONFORMING TO
THE MAIN OUTLINE OF THE GROUND.
-A GARDEN WAS LAID OUT INSIDE THE CENTRAL ELLIPSE.
-THE GALLERIES INCREASE IN SIZE AS ONE MOVED OUTWARDS
THE CENTER.
-THE OUTERMOST GALLERY-THE GALERIE DES MACHINES WAS
TWICE THE HEIGHT AND WIDTH OF THE OTHERS.
-CLOTHING FURNITURE AND RAW MATERIALS WERE DISPLAY
IN THAT ORDR IN THE NEXT 3 GALLERY COUNTING TOWARS
THE CENTER.
-TRANSVERSE WAKSD IVIDE THIS BUILDING INTO SEPARATE
SEGMENT.
-THE IRON SKELETON OF GALERIE DES MACHINE SPAN 35 M,
HEIGHT 25M CONSISTED OF PILLARS 28M HEIHT.THE ARCHES OF
THE VAULT GIRDERS REACH 25M INTO THE AIR.
-AVOID THE TIE BARS HYDRULIC LIFTS AFFORDED
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GROUND FLOOR AND THE
ROOF AROUND WHICH THERE ARE A PLATTORM.
-BY THE EXTENSIVE USE OF NEW MATERIALS, THE
EMPLOYMENT OF NEW DEVICES LIKE THE ELEVATOR,BY THE
PROVISION OF WALKS ALONG THE TRANSPARENT GLASS
SURFACE OF THE PROMENOIRS,THE PUBLIC WAS INTRODUCED
NOT ONLY TO THE NEW TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS BUT ALSO
TO COMPLETELY NEW AESTHETIC VALUES.
PARIS EXHIBITION OF 1889
-THE EXHIBITION OF 1889 MARKED AT ONCE THE CLIMAX AND
THE CONCLUSION OF A LONG DEVELOPMENT.
-EFFIEL REACHED THE HEIGHT OF POWERS.
-IT CENTERED ON THE EFFIEL TOWER.THE EXHIBITION WERE
SPREAD OUT BEHIND THE TOWER.
- THERE WERE 2 WINGS, ONE HOUSING THE BEAUX ARTS, THE
OTHERS THE ARTS LIBERAUN WHICH WERE JOINED TOGETHER
BY A SECTION DEVOTED TO GENERAL EXHIBITS.

GALERIE DES MACHINE.SPAN 115M, LENGTH 420M.

-A KIND OF TRAVELING CRANE WAS ERRECTED WITHIN THE
GALERIE DES MACHINES.
-IT SPANNED 115 M AND WAS 45 M HEIGH.ITS SKELETON WAS
COMPOSED OF 20 TRUSSES.ITS LENGTH WAS 420M.
-HUGE GLASS WALLS ENCLOSED THE SIDES.EACH ARCHED
TRUSS IS MADE UP OF 2 SEGMENT .IN THIS HALL THE LIGHT
POURING IN FROM ABOVE SWALLED UP THE THIN LATTICE.
-THE LAST HINT OF THE ANTIQUE COLOUMN HAS
DISAPPEARED.IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEPARATE LOAD AND
SUPPORT.
CHICAGO EXHIBITION, 1893
-IT IS A CURIOUS ILLUSTRATION OF THE COMPLEX CHARACTER
OF THE 19TH CENTURY THAT THE GREAT EXHIBITION SHOULD
HAVE BEGUN THEIR DECINE IN CHICAGO.
-AT THIS PERIOD CHICAGO WAS THE PLACE WHERE THE MOST
DARING AND ORIGINAL WORK WITH OFFICE BUILDING AND
APARTMENTS HOUSES WAS BEING DONE.
-COLUMBIAN EXHIBITION AT THE CHICAGO WAS THE
BEGINNING OF ‘MERCANTILE CLASSISM’.
-THE NFLUENCE OF ITS PLASTER ARCHITETURE WAS
WIDESPREAD AND TENACIOUS.

WORLD’S FAIR, CHICAGO, 1893.VENELIAN GONDOLIERS

-IN THIS PERIOD LOUIS SULLIVAN’S OWN TRANSPORTATION

BUILDING AND THE COVERED PIERS RAN OUT INTO LAKE
MICHIGAN.
-THE CONTEMPORARY BELGIAN CONSTRUCTER VIERENDEL
ALSO EXPRESSED HIS OPINIONS.
-IT WAS NOT THE PURE CURVES OF THE PIERS EXTENDING OUT
INO THE LAKE THAT DELIGHTED THE PUBLIC BUT RATHER
THAN GANDOLAS AND GANDOLIERS THAT HAD BEEN
ESPECIALLY IMPORTED FROM VENICE.
-LOUIS SULLIVAN’S BUILDING ALSO FAILED TO ACHIEVE A
POPULAR SUCCESS.
-AT THE CHICAGO WORLD’S FAIR THE ARCHITECTS BELOVED
THAT THEY WERE REVIVING THE CREATVE SPIRIT OF THE
MEDICIAN TIMES AND THE PUBLIC FANCD THAT THE RADIANCE
OF FLORENCE WAS BEING RECALLED FOR THEM TO LIVE IN.

INFLUENCE AND DECLINE OF THE GREAT

EXHIBITION
DECLINE:
-THE MANNER IN WHICH THE THEME OF EACH EXHIBITION
FOUND EXPRESSION CERTAINLY MERITS SOME DISCUSSION
TOO.
-THUS IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO ESTABLISH WITH COMPLETE
ACCURACY THE DATE WHEN THE ‘INDUSTRY OF ALL NATIONS’
CAME TO BE THE INEVITABLE THEME FOR ANY GREAT
EXPOSITION.
-AT THAT MOMENT THE EXHIBITION AS A PROBLEM IN
BUILDING LOST ALL ITS CREATIVE FORCE.
-IT BECAME SIMPLY AN ORGANISED SHOW LIKE MANY OTHERS,
AND ITS SUCCESS OR FAILURE WAS A MATTER OF NO
HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE.
-A NEW THEME.THE NEEDS AND DESIRES OF MAN IS REQUIRED
TO GIVE A NEW IMPETUS TO THE EXHIBITION MOVEMENT.
-PEOPLE NO LONGER VITALLY CONCERNED “HOW CAN WE
PRODUCE THE GREATEST NUMBERS OF OBJECTS?”
-EFFIEL TOWER BECAME SHAME FOR THE COUNTRY DUE TO
EXPOSED IRON STRUCTURE.
-SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 20TH CENTURY WORLD FAIR HAVE
BEEN TRANSITORY OCCURENCES THAT HAVE BEEN FALLING
INTO COMMERCIAL AVERTISEMENT.
INFLUENCES:
-DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY WORLD
EXHIBITION BECAME PRESTIGIOUS HIGH PUBLICITY SHOWCASE
FOR INCREASING IMPRESSIVE TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC
ACHEVEMENT.
-EFFIEL TOWER WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR THE GREAT
EXHIBITIONS OF 1889 PARIS WHICH REACHED A HEIGHT CEN
CONCIABLE FOR ITS TIME.IT WAS 300M IN HEIGHT.
-GALLARIES DES MACHINES IMPRESSIVELY DEMONSTRATED
THE TECHNICAL POSSIBILITIES MADE AVAILABLE BY STEEL
STRUCTURE.
-DUE TO ITS USE OF STANDARD STRUCTURAL SYSTEM OF
PERPENDICULAR SUPPORTS, ON WHICH THE CROSS MEMBER
RESTED THE CRYSTAL PALACE GAVE THE EXPRESSION OF
BEING A VERY RIGID STATIC STRUCTURE.
-THE USE OF IRON IN THE STRUCTURE BROUGHT ABOUT THE
CHANGE IN ARCHITECTURAL APPEAL.