The Industrial Revolution
The origin of the industrial revolution started in
England during the 18th century. Before this time, most people lived
in a simple agricultural life, but then as the 18th century
progressed, the industrial revolution began in which it transformed life with
the help of new technology. During this time period, many important innovations
began such as the use of coal, the first steam powered engine, railroads,
factories, textile inventions, free trade and the iron industry. Although
during this time, Britain gained maximum power and a lot of technological
advancements, many people suffered for the cost of maximum gain. 
The Great Exhibition
During the 19th century, there was an
international exhibition in London from 1st of May till the 11th.
This exhibition, organized by Prince Albert and Henry Cole, celebrated the
technological advancements and design. Many famous figures such as Charles
Darwin and Charles Dickens visited this exhibition as well. This exhibition was
held in a large glass building nick named “The Crystal Palace”.
The Crystal Palace
This large building, design by Joseph Paxton, held
The Great Exhibition event. It was built with cast iron and plate glass; this
gave the building a very unique form during that time. When one would see this
building, one would see a balance of positive and negative space because of the
iron and plate glass. I believe that during the day, the building would have
reflected a lot of the sunlight because of the glass, thus it would have looked
like its lit. The building has also showed balance on horizontal, vertical and
curved lines as well. Inside the building, full sized Elm trees were also
placed; this further gave a contrast between nature and architecture. This
building was considered as an engineering success. The building was then moved
to Sydenham where it was later destroyed by fire on the 30th of
November 1939.
Architecture
In the 19th century, many historic styles
were revived such as Neo-Moorish, Neo-Turkish, Neo-Egyptian and Neo-Gothic.
These styles were very similar to the previous ones, but they were built using
different and modern techniques.
Neo-Gothic Architecture: St. Patrick’s
Cathedral
When one looks at The Cathedral of St. Patrick, one
would immediately notice the similarities with Gothic-architecture. The
building has a symmetrical balance with a balance of horizontal, vertical,
curved and diagonal lines. This gives out a very complex look to the building.
The building itself has an asymmetrical balance with its surroundings as the
building looks very unique and different compared to the buildings around it.
This attracts the eye of the viewer to look at the building.
Owen Jones
Owen Jones was an architect that was famous for his decoration
design on the Crystal Palace and for the arrangements of the exhibits. He is also known for his pattern catalog that he created called "The Grammar of Ornament". This involved of numerous of different pattern designs that
could inspire and encourage designers to understand these patterns better. Each pattern in the catalog was very detailed and
had vibrant colours. They were all balanced symmetrically balanced and many of
them had complimentary colours as well.
References
1.) The Great Exhibition. Available from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Exhibition [15 October 2014]
2.) Industrial Revolution, [online video], 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhF_zVrZ3RQ, (accessed 15 October 2014)
3.) Ben Johnson, The Great Exhibition of 1851, Available from: http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Great-Exhibition-of-1851/ [15 October 2014]
4.) St. Patrick's Cathedral (Manhattan), Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick's_Cathedral_(Manhattan) [15 October 2014]
5.) Owen Jones (architect), Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Jones_(architect) [15 October 2014]
