The Crystal Palace was originally constructed in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851 and afterwards was disassembled and rebuilt in South East London but during this process the architect, Sir Joseph Paxton, realised that he had neglected to include adequate toilet facilities in the original design so set about rectifying this. However, when the building reopened in 1854, in a ceremony attended by Queen Victoria, the flaw in the new design became apparent: like the rest of the building, the public lavatory was made out of glass and as such offered its users very little by way of privacy. The problems this presented were immediately demonstrated when the local mayor was caught short during the opening and had to use the toilet, meaning his attempts to pass a stool were watched by a crowd of several hundred including the Queen, who was not amused.
When the Crystal Palace burnt down in 1936 there was a persistent rumour that it was an act of arson committed by someone tired of the appallingly designed toilets; if that is true then their actions were rewarded, as this facility, significantly more private than the original, was subsequently built and has been enjoyed by visitors ever since.
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