ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was arguably England's finest and most versatile engineer. He took over from his father, Marc Isambard Brunel, in completing the Thames Tunnel, the first subaqueous tunnel in the world. He went on to design the Clifton suspension bridge over the River Avon. He made extensive improvements to the docks in Bristol, Plymouth and elsewhere. In 1833 he was appointed Chief Engineer at Great Western Railways, where he introduced broad gauge tracks that permitted greatly increased train speeds. He also made major contributions to marine engineering, building The Great Western, the first steamship to operate a regular transatlantic service. He contributed to Britain's effort in the Crimean War, designing both artillery and a transportable prefabricated hospital building.
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Dan Cruickshank is an art historian and BBC television presenter with a special interest
in the history of architecture. He is an Honorary Fellow of RIBA, a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgian Group and on the Architectural Panel of the National Trust. |
