{"id":685,"date":"2025-07-16T14:58:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T14:58:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/?p=685"},"modified":"2025-07-17T12:26:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T12:26:26","slug":"iconic-london-attraction-will-close-for-years-during-60000000-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/16\/iconic-london-attraction-will-close-for-years-during-60000000-upgrade\/","title":{"rendered":"Iconic London attraction will close for years during \u00a360,000,000 upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T2M39S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/07\/16\/09\/100357257-0-image-a-4_1752655729727.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2025-07-16T09:50:50+0100″,”description”:”Kew’s Palm House was built 1854 to create a rainforest environment. Today this botanical wonder provides a living laboratory for Wet Zone plants.”,”contentUrl”:”https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/07\/16\/5072706332827562746\/480x270_MP4_5072706332827562746.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480}<\/p>\n

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class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\twindow.addEventListener(‘metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded’, function(data) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tif (typeof(data.detail) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === ‘undefined’) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\treturn;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar player = data.detail.carousel.el_;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar container = player.closest(‘.metro-video-player’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar placeholder = container.querySelector(‘.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tif (placeholder) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.removeChild(placeholder);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.classList.add(‘metro-video-player–related-videos-loaded’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Victorian glasshouse at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew will close to visitors during a major refurbishment in a bid to boost energy efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>Built in the 19th century, Kew’s iconic Palm House in west <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/london\/\">London <\/a>attracts millions of visitors each year who come to visit the thousands of rare tropical <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/plants\/\">plants<\/a>, such as the world’s oldest potted plant.<\/p>\n<p>But the Palm House and its sister glasshouse, the Waterlily House, need urgent repairs after ‘serious signs of deterioration,’ Kew has warned.<\/p>\n<p>Plans are now going ahead for a \u00a360 million upgrade designed to make the buildings more energy efficient by replacing thousands of glass panes and the creaking pipes. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23677276 lazyload\" alt=\"The giant waterlilies at Kew Gardens greenhouse.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_259181581-22cf.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Botanical artist Lucy Smith (L) and Kew Gardens’ scientific and botanical research horticulturalist Carlos Magdalena (R) pose for photographs with the “Victoria Boliviana” (Picture: Leon Neal\/Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While the Palm House and Waterlily House will close eventually when the works start in 2027, visitors will still be able to see the plants as Kew is erecting a temporary and a new permanent greenhouse.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Inside the Kew’s upgrade plan<\/h2>\n<p>Each year, 2.4 million people flock to see the 1,300 plants, which are housed in a balmy 28\u00b0C all year round.<\/p>\n<p>The optimal conditions are maintained by the gas-fired boiler system and pipes – once state-of-the-art when the Palm House was built between 1844 and 1848.<\/p>\n<p>But, they have since worn-out. <\/p>\n<p>An application to replace the the heating system, as well as make several other changes and make the Palm House entirely carbon neutral, has been submitted to Richmond borough council.<\/p>\n<p>Other changes outlined in the application are:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A total of 16,500 glass panes being replaced with high-performance sealed glazing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tLatest London news\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/09\/fire-rips-block-flats-south-east-london-23616646\/\">Mother screamed ‘my boy, my boy’ after fire ripped through block of flats<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/10\/a-real-nuisance-londoners-say-citys-e-bike-boom-23609213\/\">‘A real nuisance’ – Londoners have their say on the city’s e-bike boom<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/10\/man-30s-stabbed-death-outside-knightsbridge-casino-23625414\/\">Woman screamed ‘Oh my god’ after man was stabbed to death outside Casino<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><strong>To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro’s<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/london\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> London news hub<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Silicone gaskets will be installed to reduce heat loss, while a fully electrified air and water source heat pump system will also be installed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Rainwater storage will be enlarged and the irrigation system will be upgraded<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Victorian materials and finishes will be conserved, the Royal Botanic Gardens said <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sir William Nestfield’s original garden layout will also be restored<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"409\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23677280 lazyload\" alt=\"The world's oldest potted plant at Kew Gardens.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_259181408-2e13.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Rehousing the world’s oldest pot plant, weighing a tonne, a cycad, was a painstaking task (Picture: PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23675009 lazyload\" alt=\"A view of the glasshouse roof inside the Palm House at Kew Gardens.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_259159555-9ed5.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>The Victorian iron and glass structure has seen better days (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Tom Pickering, the head of glasshouse collections at Kew, said: ‘At the heart of this project is the need to protect the extraordinary plant collections housed in the Palm House and Waterlily House.<\/p>\n<p>‘Besides being beautiful, many have cultural, scientific and conservation value, and replacing these collections is unimaginable. Achieving net zero in these historic buildings is an unprecedented task; it\u2019s a complex challenge which must consider the interplay of horticulture, climatic control, engineering, and architecture.’ <\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23675002 lazyload\" alt=\"Kew Garden greenhouse exterior.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_259159574-7d9b.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>The Palm House is one of the world’s most famous glasshouses (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23675006 lazyload\" alt=\"LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 22: Sol??ne Dequiret, Botanical Horticulturist works in the Palm House at Kew Gardens on January 22, 2021 in London, England. Built by architect Decimus Burton and iron-maker Richard Turner between 1844 and 1848, The Palm House was the first large scale structural use of wrought iron. Located in the Royal Botanic Gardens, it specialises in growing tropical and endangered plants. The Palm House is temporarily closed, but visitors are still allowed to visit Kew Gardens during the UK's third COVID-19 lockdown on a controlled and ticketed basis. (Photo by Chris Jackson\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_259159569-8bef.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Revamp works inside the Palm House are set to start in 2027 and all the tropical plants will be moved to purpose-built shelters (Picture: Chris Jackson Collection)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"461\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23675010 lazyload\" alt=\"The Great Palm House, Kew Gardens', circa 1896. From Pictorial England and Wales. [Cassell and Company, Limited, London, Paris & Melbourne, circa 1896]. Artist York & Son. (Photo by The Print Collector\/Getty Images)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_259159454-0b95.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>The Palm House was the first glasshouse of its scale when it opened in the mid-1800s (Picture: The Print Collector\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Before the works can start, Kew is seeking funding for the project at the Grade I-listed buildings to prevent the heritage from being ‘lost forever.’<\/p>\n<p>Richard Deverell, the director of Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, said: ‘This is a pivotal moment in the history of Kew. With sustainability at the core of our mission, this project exemplifies our commitment to safeguarding both the environment and cultural heritage. <\/p>\n<p>‘The transformation of the Palm House and Waterlily House into net-zero icons will not only protect irreplaceable plants but serve as a beacon of what sustainable heritage can achieve.’ <\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong><strong><strong>Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:webnews@metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>For more stories like this, <\/strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T2M39S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/07\/16\/09\/100357257-0-image-a-4_1752655729727.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2025-07-16T09:50:50+0100″,”description”:”Kew’s Palm House was built 1854 to create a rainforest environment. Today this botanical wonder provides a living laboratory for Wet Zone plants.”,”contentUrl”:”https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/07\/16\/5072706332827562746\/480x270_MP4_5072706332827562746.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener(‘metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded’, function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === ‘undefined’) { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest(‘.metro-video-player’); var placeholder = container.querySelector(‘.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder’); if (placeholder) { … <a href=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/16\/iconic-london-attraction-will-close-for-years-during-60000000-upgrade\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> “Iconic London attraction will close for years during \u00a360,000,000 upgrade”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":687,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cost-of-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=685"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":694,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685\/revisions\/694"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}