A Chinese billionaire plans to build a replica of Joseph Paxton's Crystal Palace on the site it occupied in South London in 1854. The Palace was relocated from Hyde Park to Sydenham in 1854, but burned down in 1936. With the backing of Mayor Boris Johnson, Ni Zhaoxing, chairman of property development firm ZhongRong Group, is investing £500m in the project, which is described as a "culture-led exhibition space" that will include a hotel and conference facilities, studios, galleries and other commercial units.
Image: Crystal Palace after it was built in 1851
