Kew Gardens Launches Appeal to Save Palm House
Says it needs £1million to save landmark Victorian building
The Palm House, Kew Gardens opened in 1852. Picture: Ines Stuart Davidson/RBG Kew
October 6, 2026
Kew Gardens has launched its biggest-ever fundraising appeal to raise £1m towards the £66m project to protect the Grade I listed Palm House, having secured half of the funds so far. It warned that without the urgent works, the Victorian landmark and plants it protects risk being lost forever.
Palm House opened in 1848 and is home to a variety of tropical plants, totalling 1,300, some of which are endangered or even extinct in the wild. These plants support Kew’s research into conservation, food security, preventing biodiversity loss and ways to protect the future of the planet.
Richmond Council approved the renovation project in February, which includes turning the Palm House and neighbouring Grade II listed Waterlily House into the world’s first net-zero glasshouses of their kind.
Waterlily House has already shut for its renovation and is expected to reopen in spring next year. It was completed in 1852 to showcase the world’s biggest waterlily, and it is now full of aquatic plants and tropical fruit.
The makeover of the Palm House will involve replacing 16,500 glass planes with sealed glazing units, using bespoke silicone seals to cut heat loss and moving to fully electrified air and water source heat pumps. Original materials and finishes in the glasshouses will be conserved, while they will be made fully accessible to reach more visitors.
Richard Deverell, Kew’s director, said: “For generations, the Palm House has been a place where people encounter the extraordinary diversity of life on Earth. It is a building that has inspired wonder for almost 180 years, but its future cannot be taken for granted.
“We have reached an important milestone, with half of the funding already secured thanks to generous philanthropists, grants and individuals. Now we are asking the public to help us raise the next £1m. Every donation, however large or small, will help protect this extraordinary building and the collection within it for generations to come.”
The Palm House is set to shut in 2027 for five years while the renovation is carried out.
Palm House balcony rust, Kew Gardens. Picture: Jeff Eden/RBG Kew
Tom Pickering, Kew’s head of glasshouses, added: “Rainforests capture people’s imagination because of the remarkable diversity of life they support. However, this research suggests many people are less aware of the extraordinary plants these ecosystems rely on or their essential medicinal value.
“At a time of accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss, understanding the far-reaching importance of rainforests has never been more critical. We depend on them for the regulation of our climate, their resources, medicines and as homes for millions of people.”
The redevelopment is being led by the site’s capital projects team, Hugh Broughton Architects and Cundall engineers.
Kew aims to become climate positive by 2030, setting a science-based carbon emissions reduction target, as part of its 10-year corporate strategy, which was published in 2021.
Members of the public can donate directly to the appeal or sponsor a pane of glass or tropical plant species. Donations up to £300,000 will be matched. The appeal can be found on Kew’s website.Charlotte Lillywhite - Local Democracy Reporter