The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew secured £14.7 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of a wider £34.3 million funding package to support the restoration of the Temperate House, a Grade I listed heritage building and one of Kew’s most significant architectural landmarks.
The Temperate House underwent an extensive £41 million restoration programme, completed in May 2018, to conserve and revitalise the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse. Spanning five years, the project involved the careful repair of approximately 69,000 individual structural elements, the replacement of 15,000 panes of glass, and the temporary relocation and protection of thousands of plants. The restored structure now benefits from enhanced environmental control systems and provides an improved setting for the display and conservation of rare temperate-region flora.
Key Details of the Temperate House Restoration
Historical Significance:
Constructed in 1863 and designed by Decimus Burton, the Temperate House is the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse in the world and a landmark of nineteenth-century engineering and horticultural ambition.
Project Scope:
Commencing in 2013, the restoration was comprehensive in scale, encompassing the meticulous repair and conservation of the building’s iron, steel, timber, masonry, and glass fabric, all undertaken to the highest conservation standards.
Key Statistics:
Over the course of the project, 5,280 litres of paint were applied and 15,000 panes of glass installed, ensuring both structural integrity and improved light transmission.
Botanical Impact:
Approximately 500 plants were relocated to a temporary nursery during the works, while around 10,000 plants were reinstated or introduced upon reopening. These include exceptionally rare specimens such as the South African cycad Encephalartos woodii.
Funding:
The project was supported by a combination of funding sources, including £14.7 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £10.4 million from Defra, and significant private donations.
Outcome:
Reopening to the public in May 2018, the restored Temperate House now offers a vastly improved environment for plant conservation, scientific research, education, and public engagement.
The restoration was essential to securing the long-term future of the building and safeguarding its internationally important botanical collections, which were under threat due to structural deterioration prior to the works.
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