London's Kew Gardens Will Renovate Iconic Glasshouses
But in recent years, the structure has started to show its 177 years. Paint is blistering off the rusting iron, and heat from a gas boiler escapes from around its 16,000 panes of glass.
'It's starting to degrade,' said Reuben Briggs, who is in charge of capital projects for Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as the gardens are formally known. He noted the tropical climate that the greenhouse simulates places strain on the building. 'It's dripping with condensation, and that cast and wrought iron is starting to corrode,' he said.
So in 2027, Kew announced on Wednesday, the Palm House will close for four years for a major renovation, along with the Waterlily House, its 19th-century neighbor. The goal of the construction project is to address 'serious signs of deterioration,' the announcement said, and also to help Kew Gardens meet its climate goals.
'The key thing for us is to conserve the building, but also improve it for the future,' Mr. Briggs said. 'So improve it for the plants, improve it for the visitors, but also make sure that it's able to cope with the changing climate as well.'
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