GeordieCraig
Kew Palm House
The curvaceous exterior and steamy interior of Kew’s Palm House have long made it an icon of the Gardens. Designed by Decimus Burton and expertly engineered by Richard Turner, it was constructed between 1844 and 1848.
Experts consider Kew’s Palm House as the most important surviving Victorian iron and glass structure in the world. It was designed to accommodate the exotic palms being collected and introduced to Europe in early Victorian times. The project was pioneering, as it was the first time engineers had used wrought iron to span such large widths without supporting columns. This technique was borrowed from the shipbuilding industry; from a distance the glasshouse resembles an upturned hull. The result was a vast, light, lofty space that could easily accommodate the crowns of large palms.
Kew Palm House
The curvaceous exterior and steamy interior of Kew’s Palm House have long made it an icon of the Gardens. Designed by Decimus Burton and expertly engineered by Richard Turner, it was constructed between 1844 and 1848.
Experts consider Kew’s Palm House as the most important surviving Victorian iron and glass structure in the world. It was designed to accommodate the exotic palms being collected and introduced to Europe in early Victorian times. The project was pioneering, as it was the first time engineers had used wrought iron to span such large widths without supporting columns. This technique was borrowed from the shipbuilding industry; from a distance the glasshouse resembles an upturned hull. The result was a vast, light, lofty space that could easily accommodate the crowns of large palms.