Overview

• Kew has submitted its planning application for the £60 million renovation of the Palm House and adjoining Waterlily House, aiming to begin work in 2027 and close the structures for up to five years
• The overhaul will strip and recycle all 16,000 glass panes, restore the wrought-iron frame and replace the century-old boiler system with air and water source heat pumps to cut carbon emissions
• Specialist horticultural teams have started propagating and relocating more than 1,300 tropical plants, including 45 critically endangered species and the world’s oldest potted plant, into temporary glasshouses
• Funding commitments from central government, the Julia Rausing Trust, the World Monuments Fund and other donors underpin the project alongside a planned public fundraising drive
• The renovation underpins Kew’s Climate Positive 2030 strategy by targeting a 49% reduction in site energy use and creating the world’s first heritage net zero glasshouses