Dome of Discovery facts for kids
The Dome of Discovery was a huge, round building. It was built for a special event called the Festival of Britain in 1951. This festival happened in London, right by the River Thames. The dome was designed by an architect named Ralph Tubbs.
It was a very famous building, just like the tall Skylon nearby. These two structures became symbols of modern design. They showed Britain was moving forward after World War II. Sadly, after the festival ended, the dome was taken down. Its parts were sold for scrap metal. Today, the Jubilee Gardens are in its place. This is close to the London Eye.
The Dome of Discovery's Amazing Size
The dome was incredibly big. It was 365 feet (111 m) wide, which is like a football field! It also stood 93 feet (28 m) tall. At the time, it was the largest dome in the entire world.
To get inside, visitors rode a long escalator. The dome itself was made from aluminium. It was built by a company called Horseley Ironworks. The building was designed in a modern style. It held many exciting exhibits for the festival.
What Was Inside the Dome?
The main idea of the exhibition inside the Dome of Discovery was "British initiative in exploration and discovery is as strong as it ever was." This meant showing how good Britain was at finding new things.
The exhibition was split into different sections. Each section explored a different area of discovery:
- The Land
- The Earth
- Polar regions
- The Sea
- The Sky
- Outer Space
- The Physical World (about science)
- The Living World (about nature)
An artist named Keith Vaughan painted a huge mural inside. It was 50 feet long and showed the theme of discovery. Unfortunately, there are no photos of this mural today.
What Happened to the Dome?
After the Festival of Britain closed, the Dome of Discovery was taken down. Its parts were sold to a scrap metal company. This company was called George Cohen and Sons.
The metal pieces were then turned into new things. Some were made into special paper-knives. These paper-knives had a message on them. It said they were made from the aluminium roof of the Dome of Discovery. It also mentioned that George Cohen and Sons took down the dome and other festival buildings in 1952.
