Edinburgh's 1834 Palm House reopens after £23.5m restoration
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has reopened its historic 1834 and 1858 Palm Houses following a £23.5 million restoration project. The five-year effort involved replacing thousands of glass panes and repairing original iron and stone structures to preserve the site for the future.
Why it matters
This project preserves significant Victorian architectural heritage while adapting historic structures to withstand modern climate challenges.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has officially reopened its two historic Palm Houses after a complex five-year restoration project costing £23.5 million. The work included replacing every single pane of glass in both buildings. The reopening is a major milestone in the garden's 356-year history. It also marks the completion of an important stage in the wider £58 million Edinburgh Biomes development programme. The two glasshouses include the original Octagonal Palm House, built in 1834, and its Victorian neighbour, built in 1858. The Victorian building is recognised as the tallest traditional stone-built Palm House in the world.Extensive architectural and structural repairsTo complete the major repairs, specialists carefully removed and replaced all 5,750 panes of glass across the two buildings. The replacement panes were made using custom templates designed to withstand today's more extreme weather conditions caused by climate change.
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