£41m Temperate House restoration complete
The Temperate House- the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse is to reopen at London’s Kew Gardens after a five-year restoration. Over 5, 280 litres of paint was used on the Grade 1 listed structure which stripped to bare metal and 15, 000 panes of glass were replaced and modernised, 116 urns have been restored, 110 miles of scaffolding was used to the length of M25. The new refurbished Temperate house will be open to the public on Saturday 5th May 2018. The restoration cost £41m.
The glass greenhouse houses 10, 000 plants from temperate climates around the world and includes some of the most threatened specimens. Kew Gardens houses extremely rare South African cycad Encephalartos woodii, a plant that has disappeared from the wild and is now found exclusively in botanic gardens and private collections.