Kew Gardens received a £5 million donation from the Julia Rausing Trust for a major restoration and upgrade project. The funding will renovate the historic Waterlily House, transform its heating toward net-zero, and support the wider Palm House renovation. Almost one third of the £60 million required for the total project has been secured. The Palm House was constructed in the mid-1800s using shipbuilding techniques; the Waterlily House opened in 1852 with a circular pond spanning over 10 metres that houses Victoria waterlilies. Both glasshouses show serious deterioration, will close for restoration starting in 2027, and plants are being relocated for safekeeping during the works.
The renovation of the Waterlily House, together with the wider Palm House project, is an important initiative that will preserve these iconic structures and their world-famous ecosystems. Kew's work as a global leader in botanical science and horticulture is well known, and The Julia Rausing Trust is proud to be an early supporter of this project. We hope others will join us in supporting Kew with this important fundraising campaign.
Constructed between 1844 and 1848 using techniques borrowed from the shipbuilding industry, the Palm House represented cutting-edge technology and thinking at that time. A companion building to the Palm House, the Waterlily House opened in 1852 and was purpose-built to showcase giant waterlilies. Its circular pond spans over 10 metres and features the Victoria boliviana and Victoria amazonica water lilies, with lily pads reaching over 3m in diameter.
Both the Palm House and Waterlily House are currently showing serious signs of deterioration, having last undergone a renovation in the 1980s. Both glasshouses will need to close for the restoration works, and that's expected to start in 2027. In the meantime, they've already started moving plants out to other locations to keep them safe during the building works.
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