Introduction
The
The Great Exhibition of 1851 may represent the apotheosis of the age of iron. Many of the most spectacular objects on display were made of iron, from industrial machinery to tricky gadgets, whilst other iron products that were too large to transport were represented by models. Above all the
The introduction of the new technology of iron into the worlds of structural engineering and architecture was, at times, haphazard.
With iron, as with many other materials, there were few automatic links between advances in the manufacturing process and their exploitation in general use; and even once the potential of a new material had been recognised, its addition to the repertoire did not necessarily mean that older methods were discarded. Thus, wrought iron did not universally supplant cast iron any more than cast iron had totally replaced wood. Progress was through accretion rather than revolution.
It may seem unnecessary to be well-versed in the early history of the use of iron in architecture. Yet, as this unit seeks to show, the subject is both intrinsically interesting and relevant. Quite apart from the historical issues it raises, it can serve as an introduction to iron for the practising architect. As conservation and the reuse of old buildings have become an increasing part of architectural work, so the understanding of how materials were once made and used has ceased to be an eccentric specialisation. The ability to recognise different types of iron, and to appreciate their capabilities, is as important today as it has ever been in the training and knowledge of an architect.
