#ArchitectureFriday | Once the grand gateway for first-class Victorian travellers, the Crystal Palace Subway has been beautifully restored 🚂 Originally opened in 1865, the subway served as an opulent entrance to South London’s Crystal Palace. Designed by English architect Charles Barry Jr., it was a marvel of Victorian engineering - a vaulted passageway of patterned brick and stone that led elite passengers beneath the road and into the palace’s glass-and-iron splendour. Though much of the Crystal Palace was tragically lost to fire in 1936, the subway remains one of its last surviving architectural gems. In September 2024, a £3.5 million restoration brought new life to this historic structure - just in time for its 160th anniversary in 2025. The project saw the reinstatement of a roof over the East Courtyard, alongside careful conservation of the original entrances and surrounding walls. Now reopened to the public, the Crystal Palace Subway stands as a testament to Victorian ambition - and the power of preserving history. 📷 Historic England Archive