ABSTRACT
Recent accounts of the design and building of the Palm House at Kew Gardens (Fig. I) have claimed that Decimus Burton was responsible for the design of the structure while Richard Turner contributed certain constructional details. 1 This view, however, is inaccurate and does not fully take into account the letters which Richard Turner wrote to Sir William J. Hooker, the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, during the period when the design of the building as well as the details of its construction were being decided. From these letters it is clear that both Richard Turner and Decimus Burton were responsible for the overall design, in addition to the fact that Turner was responsible for the detailing of the structure and also for the heating and ventilation systems. 2
The need for a new house for the palms and tropical plants, which were confined in very cramped conditions, was noticed by J. C. Loudon when he visited the gardens in 1826.3 However, the first proposal for a new palm house would seem to have been a design prepared by Sir Jeffry Wyatville, some time around 1834.4 Little is known of Wyatville's design except that it was to have been constructed of wood, and to have been 200 ft. long, 50 ft. wide with side wings (aisles?), and 40 ft. high to a lantern roof. A site was chosen in the presence of William IV, on October 17th, 1834 but the scheme was not further realized.
