Carl Johan Cronstedt
Encyclopedia
Carl Johan Cronstedt was a Swedish architect
, inventor, Earl
, noble
, civil servant, scientist
and bibliophile.
Cronstedt was the son of Jakob Cronstedt (Olderman) and Margareta Beata Grundel born in 1709 in Stockholm, Sweden. He married Countess Eva Margareta Lagerberg in 1744.
Cronstedt became a pupil of Christopher Polhem
in 1729 and in 1733 was his apprentice. He studied civil engineering under Carl Hårleman
and in 1743 became his successor as superintendent. He had this post to 1767 and carried out work at the following,
In the mid-eighteenth century Cronstedt, working together with Fabian Wrede, increased the efficiency of the wood-burning stove roughly eightfold with a new technology and invention. Their 1767 redesign of the traditional wood-burning stove directed the smoke and heated gases through long flues that wound up and down inside the stove. The stove and its flues were built of special masonry bricks that captured, and then radiated, more heat from the burning process. The new technology changed the pattern designs of large interior building space for residences and other public buildings. It allowed more rooms to be heated with the same amount of firewood. It had significant social and economical consequences throughout Sweden and later throughout Europe and America up into the twentieth century. Cronstedt's invention had significant environmental significance as well because it saved forests from excess usage.
Cronstedt showed how in a ceramic designed wood burning stove that much more additional heat could be captured in a heavily tiled system of five long internal flues. The innovation of his masonry stove system captured the heat from only periodic burning of wood. It would then spread out that heat over a longer period for a fairly constant temperature. Because of this it only needed to be lit in the mornings and in the evenings. This type of residential (or interior space) heating system is sometimes referred to as a kakelugn in a Swedish stove. In England and America it is called a "tile stove" or masonry stove. It is a type of "contra-flow stove" which the Chinese have made into a Kang bed-stove
.
Cronstedt wrote and had published several books. Among these were,
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, inventor, Earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
, noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, civil servant, scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and bibliophile.
Biography
Cronstedt became a pupil of Christopher Polhem
Christopher Polhem
Christopher Polhammar , better known as , which he took after his ennoblement, was a Swedish scientist, inventor and industrialist. He made significant contributions to the economic and industrial development of Sweden, particularly mining.-Biography:Polhem was born on the island of Gotland...
in 1729 and in 1733 was his apprentice. He studied civil engineering under Carl Hårleman
Carl Hårleman
Baron Carl Hårleman was a Swedish architect.Hårleman was born in Stockholm, son of the garden architect and head of the royal parks and gardens Johan Hårleman, who hade been ennobled in 1698, and began his architectural training under Göran Josua Adelcrantz...
and in 1743 became his successor as superintendent. He had this post to 1767 and carried out work at the following,
-
- Drottningholm PalaceDrottningholm PalaceThe Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. It is located in Drottningholm. It is built on the island Lovön , and is one of Sweden's Royal Palaces. It was originally built in the late 16th century. It served as a residence of the Swedish royal court for most of...
in the 1740s following Hårleman's architectial drawings.
- Drottningholm Palace
-
- Maria Magdalena ChurchMaria Magdalena ChurchMaria Magdalena Church is a church on Södermalm in central Stockholm, Sweden.The church plan has a nave but no aisles. In its eastern end is a three-sided choir and the transept taking up three bays. In the corners of the crossing are enlargement from various periods, all serving liturgical...
restoration in Stockholm after the 1759 fire.
- Maria Magdalena Church
-
- Construction of the new Amiralitetskyrkan in Karlskrona in 1760.
-
- Involved in the construction of Drottningholmsteatern 1764 to 1765.
-
- Did various town plans and park designs with KaskoKaskinenKaskinen is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Ostrobothnia region. The population of Kaskinen is and the municipality covers an area of of which is inland water . The population density is...
being 1765 example.
- Did various town plans and park designs with Kasko
-
- Did the drawings to Saint Olai Church in Liverpool which opened in 1767.
Positions
- 1739 - Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesRoyal Swedish Academy of SciencesThe Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
, which was founded the same year.
- 1752 - Member of Swedish House of Lords.
- 1767 - President in Kammarrevisionen.
- 1769 - President in Kammarkollegium.
Inventor
In the mid-eighteenth century Cronstedt, working together with Fabian Wrede, increased the efficiency of the wood-burning stove roughly eightfold with a new technology and invention. Their 1767 redesign of the traditional wood-burning stove directed the smoke and heated gases through long flues that wound up and down inside the stove. The stove and its flues were built of special masonry bricks that captured, and then radiated, more heat from the burning process. The new technology changed the pattern designs of large interior building space for residences and other public buildings. It allowed more rooms to be heated with the same amount of firewood. It had significant social and economical consequences throughout Sweden and later throughout Europe and America up into the twentieth century. Cronstedt's invention had significant environmental significance as well because it saved forests from excess usage.
Cronstedt showed how in a ceramic designed wood burning stove that much more additional heat could be captured in a heavily tiled system of five long internal flues. The innovation of his masonry stove system captured the heat from only periodic burning of wood. It would then spread out that heat over a longer period for a fairly constant temperature. Because of this it only needed to be lit in the mornings and in the evenings. This type of residential (or interior space) heating system is sometimes referred to as a kakelugn in a Swedish stove. In England and America it is called a "tile stove" or masonry stove. It is a type of "contra-flow stove" which the Chinese have made into a Kang bed-stove
Kang bed-stove
The Kang is a traditional long sleeping platform made of bricks or other forms of fired clay and more recently of concrete in some locations. Its interior cavity, leading to a flue, channels the exhaust from a wood or coal stove...
.
Books written
- 1767 - On a new installation of stoves for firewood saving.