In 1851, England held the Great Exhibition in Crystal Palace. While the exhibition gained a lot of attention, the Royal Commission made a lot of money from it as well. Afterward, Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, suggested that the commission should buy the area near the exhibition and turn it into a cultural hub. Following his advice, the commission bought the place and unofficially named it Albertopolis which means the city of Albert.
Albert Memorial
Located in the north of Albertopolis, the Albert Memorial is a symbol of respect for the hub’s founder. It is 54 meters tall and in its center, there is a statue of Prince Albert sitting. When Prince Albert died in 1861, the government members wanted to give his name to a university. However, Queen Victoria wanted a traditional memorial instead and the result was the Albert Memorial. It was opened in 1872 by the queen herself.
Natural History Museum
One of the oldest and biggest museums in the United Kingdom, the Natural History Museum is one of the most intriguing sites in Albertopolis. The museum displays and contains nearly 80 million items ranging from botany to zoology. It mainly consists of four different color-coded zones. The red zone is about human history, while the green zone is about the history of Earth itself. A variety of animals can be found in the blue zone and the orange zone is home to beautiful wildlife gardens.
Royal College of Music
Offering a variety of education levels and degrees, the Royal College of Music is home to nearly 1000 students from 50 countries. Its foundation was in 1882 by royal charter and the suggestion of Prince Albert. They wanted to open up a conservatoire that can give the same education as those in Italy and Germany and give official musical education to skilled British musicians.
Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall is one of the most important concert halls in the UK. It was opened by Queen Victoria in 1871 and since then it has been home to some of the best concerts, music shows, screenings, speeches, and even boxing matches. Its red and gold design is in sync with the popular Queen Anne Revival architecture in the 19th century.
Royal College of Art
Although originally built in 1837 as the Government School Design, with the additions of new campuses and a few name changes, the Royal College of Art is one of the educational places of Albertopolis. It is the only college that only focuses on postgraduate education and degrees in the United Kingdom.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the Victoria and Albert Museum is the world’s largest museum of applied and decorative arts and design. The museum has 145 galleries and a collection of nearly 2.5 million objects spanning from ancient times to today. Moreover, a huge part of the collection is from different countries, representing different cultures and traditions together.
Imperial College London
Established in 1907, Imperial College London is actually a mix of three different places of education. By unifying the Royal College of Science, Royal School of Mines, and City and Guilds of London Institute, Imperial College London emerged. While the college has several campuses, arguably the most interesting one is the one in Albertopolis with the tall tower.
