A Chinese developer is interested in erecting an exact replica of one of architecture's most notable lost buildings on the site where it burned to the ground in 1936.
"Ni Zhaoxing, billionaire owner of Shanghai-based real estate giant ZhongRong Holdings, has expressed his desire to create an exact replica of the 900,000 sq ft glass halls in Crystal Palace park," writes Oliver Wainwright. "The majestic structure was originally designed by Joseph Paxton and first erected in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851, assembled by 5,000 navvies at a cost of £150,000 (equivalent to £13m today). After the exhibition, it was relocated to Sydenham and redesigned in a much grander beaux arts style, complete with a barrel-vaulted roof and two new transepts – costing £1.3m (around £97m today) – before being destroyed by fire in 1936."
"An Act of Parliament in 1990 specified that any new building erected on the site must be in the spirit of Paxton's original building, a challenge attempted in vain by a 1996 plan for a 20-screen multiplex cinema on the site by Ian Ritchie architects, followed by a later iteration in a hopeless Paxton pastiche," notes Wainwright.
"Now the ZhongRong group wishes to follow the Act to the letter. The company has appointed Arup engineers to work on the project, and is in early-stage talks with the Greater London Authority and Bromley Council to develop the idea, with a view to submitting a planning application later this year."
FULL STORY: Raising the glass: Crystal Palace to come back from the dead
Study: Large SUVs Double Risk of Death for Children Under 10
New research from the United Kingdom reveals the higher risk of larger vehicles for pedestrians and cyclists.
Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.
Dockless Bikes Seized as City of London Cracks Down on Parking
Lime and Forest paid £25,000 in fines to retrieve their property and are negotiating solutions with transportation authorities.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time
A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.
Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth
Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.
Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas
Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions