Plans are in the works to rebuild the famous Crystal Palace in London, with eight architect firms shortlisted to design it.
The firms are David Chipperfield Architects, Grimshaw, Haworth Tompkins Architects, Marks Barfield Architects, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, and Zaha Hadid Architects with Anish Kapoor.
“This is a stellar line-up of talent demonstrating the world-wide interest in this unique and challenging project,” said London Mayor Boris Johnson. “The rebuild of Crystal Palace is set to produce an extraordinary new landmark for the capital, which will support the rebirth of this historic park and catalyze jobs and growth in the local area.”
Originally built for the 1851 Great Exhibition, the Crystal Palace consisted of iron and glass and featured 990,000 square feet of space. It was disassembled after the event and relocated to a south London suburb until it burned down in 1936.
Chinese billionaire Ni Zaoxing promised last October to rebuild the palace, which will include a hotel, a conference center, an art collection, public park space, and retail space. It is estimated to cost $835 million, and construction could start early next year.
(Image: The Crystal Palace in 1854, public domain photo)
