Glass Act Temperate House at London’s Kew Gardens.
Some of the world’s rarest plants have a sparkling new home thanks to a full-scale restoration at London’s Kew Gardens, writes Steve Meacham.
Glasshouses don’t come any more magnificent than Temperate House (pictured this page and opposite), the diamond in the crown at London’s World Heritagelisted Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (aka Kew Gardens).
Designed by Decimus Burton and opened to the public in 1863, the 191m-long structure is the largest Victorian-era glass building in the world – twice the size of Palm House (Burton’s other glass masterpiece at Kew). The construction of Temperate House pushed the boundaries of Victorian technology; indeed, most of its emulators have long since been consigned to memory.
By 2013, Temperate House was similarly at risk of ruin. Lack of investment, now-discredited restoration techniques, a couple of world wars, and the vagaries of the British climate had all taken their toll. Today, however, Temperate House is sparkling like new.
REFURBISHING AN ICON
Temperate House, so named because it houses the world’s most important collection of temperate-zone flora, closed in 2013 for the most complex restoration project in its 150-year history. It required the uprooting and replanting of 10,000
plants, the replacement of 15,000 panes of glass, the repair or replacement of 69,000 pieces of metal, stone and timber, and the stripping of 14 layers of paint dating back to the 19th century. The total cost? Some £41 million (about $76 million). Esteemed natural-history broadcaster Sir David Attenborough officially reopened Temperate House in May 2018 to international acclaim.
VIEW TO THE FUTURE
The incredibly beautiful and innovative architecture is reason enough to visit Temperate House, but truly priceless treasures can be found inside. Today, this ornate Victorian edifice is home to 30,000 plant species, with an emphasis on those most critically endangered. It is essentially a vast ecological safe house, protecting endangered plants from extinction. The air temperature here ranges between 10˚C and 30˚C, the perfect climate for these temperate-zone plants to flourish and comfortable for visitors year-round.
From the top gallery, accessed via the now-safe spiral staircase, Kew Gardens’ director of horticulture Richard Barley points out the continents represented below: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania, with separate gardens for the extraordinary native vegetation of Australia and New Zealand. I’m told that many species here are so rare they may no longer survive in the wild. One resident, the cycad Encephalartos woodii, outlived the dinosaurs but is now often referred to as the loneliest tree in the world because only male specimens survive. Glimpsing these unusual botanical beauties is a singular treat for the visitor, but it’s also reassuring to discover that Kew Gardens has some 300 scientists working on potentially groundbreaking biodiversity projects at its world-class research facility.
‘THIS ORNATE VICTORIAN EDIFICE IS ESSENTIALLY A VAST ECOLOGICAL SAFE HOUSE, PROTECTING ENDANGERED PLANTS FROM EXTINCTION .’
MORE SIGHTS TO ENJOY
Like Temperate House, Palm House (built in 1844), is remarkable both for its architecture and the plants within. Marvel at the shapely ship-like structure and its thousands of individual panes of hand-blown glass, then step inside to discover gems such as the world’s oldest pot plant and endangered or extinct rainforest species.
Other highlights include: the Princess of Wales Conservatory (a labyrinth of 10 computer-controlled ecosystems, ranging from wet tropical to dry); the sprawling Arboretum (home to an incredible 14,000 trees, some as old as the park itself and not found elsewhere in the UK); and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage (set in a 300-year-old bluebell wood). Kew Palace (also known as Dutch House) – the oldest in the Gardens and a favourite summer home of King George III and his family – is not to be missed either.