“The industrial revolution is the period of greatest industrialization that took place between the late 1700s and the early 1800s.” Great Britain was the “mother” of the Industrial Revolution. During that time Britain was making great strides in innovating new materials such as the development of higher quality steel, cast iron and glass. For a time, this gave Britain an advantage over most 'advanced' countries in development, especially in construction. There have also been major developments in agriculture, manufacturing and energy production. This sense of development quickly spread throughout the world and had a changing effect on culture, economy, and social idealism. More importantly, the industrial revolution completely metamorphosed the world of architecture. It opened new doors to design that have led to the modern architecture movement today. The first sign of a new architectural era was seen in Britain. With the production of new materials, Sir Joseph Paxton was able to design the Crystal Palace (1850-1851, 1852-1854) which boasted an intricate lattice structure of prefabricated iron and glass panels set in wooden frames. The Crystal Palace served as a greenhouse with an impressive 770,000 square meters of floor space, the largest structure of its time. This structure was monumental and shows Britain's progress in developing superior steel. European countries were not at the same stage of steel production as the British. Therefore, their steel productions were not that superior. However, in response to the English, French inventors developed a lightweight truss known as the Polonceau in 1837. Also there was the development of forged iron and milled steel. This opened up a myriad of opportunities... middle of paper... architecture-and-industrial-revolution. Curtis, W J. "11. Skyscraper and Suburb: America Between the Wars." In Modern Architecture since 1900, 144-158. London: Phaidon, 1996. Curtis, W J. "12. The Ideal Community: Alternatives to the Industrial City." In Modern Architecture since 1900, 159-173. London: Phaidon, 1996.Investopedia. "Defining the Industrial Revolution". Investipedia. Last modified 2014. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/industrial-revolution.asp.Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. "Modern movements". Last edited 2014. http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/modern_movements/2391/international_style/408691.Solar Flare Studios. "Modern Architecture: International Style." Solar flare studies. Accessed April 22, 2014. http://www.solarflarestudios.com/demosites/architecture/international.htm.