New York Crystal Palace, 19th-century illustration. New York Crystal Palace was constructed for the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations in New York City in 1853. The building stood in Reservoir Square, and was inspired by The Crystal Palace built in London to house The Great Exhibition of 1851. The architects are named as Georg Carstensen and Charles Gildemeister, and the engineers as Christian Edward Detmold and Horatio Allen. The New York Crystal Palace burned down on October 5, 1858. This lithograph, by Nagel and Weingartner with artwork by Carl Emil Doepler, was published in December 1852.