There be dragons!
Kew’s iconic garden folly is restored to its original condition
After four years of a meticulous £5 million restoration, Kew Gardens’ monumental 18th century pagoda has been opened to the public. This is the first time visitors to the garden will have access to the upper floors of the tower to take a bird’s-eye view, 50m (164ft) up, over Kew’s landscape, including the newly restored Temperate House.
Designed by architect William Chambers at the height of the 17th century craze for Chinoiserie, the tower supported 80 snarling Chinese dragons. The original wooden sculptures disappeared in the 1780s, after the building first opened in 1762, rumoured to be payment for the Prince Regent’s gambling debts, but more likely because they had started to rot.
Now the dragons have returned to the pagoda, which has been repainted in its original colour scheme of Georgian green and buff. Their design was pieced together from archive drawings.
Although the dragons on the lower floor have been carved in wood, the remaining 72 have been modelled in synthetic resin by 3D laser printing techniques, and won’t decay.
The unique venture has been overseen by charity Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with sponsorship from Chinese multi-national company Sanpower Group Co Ltd. ● Admission to the Pagoda: £4.50 adults, £3 children. Free for HRP members. Advance booking is recommended.