Master sand sculptor Ray Wirick will recreate the Crystal Palace live on Exhibition Road, working with seven tonnes of sand over a single weekend. At around 2.5 metres tall, the finished sculpture will replicate the full sweep of Paxton’s iconic 1851 structure, from its first foundations to its intricate glass and iron arches.

Visitors are welcome to watch the build unfold, discover why the original Crystal Palace was seen as a landmark of Victorian innovation, and speak directly with Ray as he works.

Alongside the sculpture, MoA has worked with architectural historian Dr Neal Shasore and The Great Exhibition Road Festival on an international open ideas competition asking what a Crystal Palace for today might look like, how it would function, and who it should serve. Nine selected proposals will be on display at the Festival on 6 and 7 June, with all entries viewable on the MoA website [link].

Free to attend. Part of The Great Exhibition Road Festival, 6-7 June.

Also at the Festival, join MoA for a doodle-along panel event exploring the engineering achievement and political context behind the original structure – before imagining what a modern equivalent might look like. Unprecedented in scale and revolutionary in construction, panellists and audience members will consider how we might design a global home for science, art and innovation today – and what sustainability, ethics, and new materials would demand of its form. Pencils at the ready!

Free to attend, but must be pre-booked. See website for details and booking.

Image credit: Ray Wirick