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museum needed space for expansion, there comes a point at which architecture goes from lay-
out to labyrinth.
The Reading Room was soon followed by the White Wing, King Edward VII Galleries, and
the special gallery designed to hold the Elgin Marbles. Construction on the Elgin Marbles gal-
lery ended in 1939, but World War II took its toll. There wasn't the money or incentive to build
any more large expansions. In fact, fixing the bomb damage prevented the Elgin Marbles gal-
lery from opening until 1962. The first new wing in 40 years opened in 1980. Unfortunately, it
was called "The New Wing" and completely fails to honor any worthy Britons.
Then, at the turn of the millennium, something interesting happens. The British Museum
would recover from the violation caused by Reading Room. The Reading Room had removed a
wonderful public space. It was the architect Lord Norman Foster who would restore it. The
British Library was given its own museum, and the Reading Room was pared back to its essen-
tials.
Then over the entire area, which was formerly a great courtyard, was erected a delicate
glass dome, and the Great Court was created. Strictly speaking, it's more of a roof than a dome,
but it arches gracefully over the floor below, and converges on the copper roof of the Reading
Room as if it was one dome resting upon another. It is a spectacular sight, but does not interfere
with the appreciation of the rest of the building's architecture.
At the time of its completion, the Great Court was the largest covered public square in
Europe. The Great Court cost L 100,000,000.00. The roof of the Great Court weighs 793 metric
tons.
• 1676 – Montagu House is built.
• 1686 – Montagu House is damaged by fire.
• 1754 – Montagu House is purchased to house the British Museum.
• 1804 – 1808 – The Townley Gallery, designed by George Saunders, is built.
• 1842 – 1846 – The Townley Gallery is demolished.
• 1852 – The Townley Gallery is replaced by the Smirke Building, designed by Sir Robert
Smirke.
• 1854 – 1857 – The Reading Room is built. It is designed by Sydney Smirke, younger
brother of Robert Smirke.
• 1882 – 1885 – The White Wing is constructed. It is designed by Sir John Taylor.
• 1907 – 1914 – King Edward VII's Galleries are built, designed by Sir John Burnet.
• 1931 – 1939 – A gallery is built to house the Elgin Marbles.
• 1962 – The gallery housing the Elgin Marbles opens.
• 1975 – 1978 – The New Wing is built. It is designed by Sir Colin Saint John Wilson.
• 1980 – The New Wing opens.
• 1998 – 2000 – The Queen Elizabeth II Great Court is built. It is designed by Lord Nor-
man Foster.
• 7 December 2000 – The Great Court officially opens.
HADRIAN’S WALL
This was the Roman Empire's version of the Great Wall of China.
It worked well, and was used for 288 years. When it was built, Britain was an outer prov-
ince of Rome and vulnerable to attack because of its distance from the heart of power and
might. Much like the Chinese, Rome sought to keep "barbarians" from the north at bay.
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