Verrière / Catalogue / Lady Norwood Begonia House

🇳🇿New Zealand·Open to the public, future uncertain (demolition under consideration)

Lady Norwood Begonia House

Wellington Botanic Garden, Wellington

Lady Norwood Begonia House, Wellington Botanic Garden, Wellington
Photo : Daderot — CC0
Year
1960
Architect
Edward Hutt
Style
Postwar modernist greenhouse
Dimensions
The largest greenhouse in the Southern Hemisphere when it opened in 1960
« Hailed as the largest greenhouse in the entire Southern Hemisphere when it opened, it is now fighting for its survival. »

Funded by a £20,000 gift from Lady Norwood, this greenhouse opened in 1960 under gardens director Edward Hutt and became, at the time, the largest greenhouse in the Southern Hemisphere. A tea room was added in 1981, then a tropical area with a water-lily pond in 1989, and the structure received seismic reinforcement in 2013. Damaged by winter storms in 2024, it now suffers from cracked glazing, prompting Wellington City Council to consider demolition rather than renovation.

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View on the interactive globe

41.28° S, 174.77° E

Further reading
The Glass House
John Hix
The definitive academic history of greenhouse architecture, from the Victorian era to modern structures.
 Glass Houses
May Woods & Arete Swartz Warren
A richly illustrated survey of greenhouses, orangeries and winter gardens around the world.
 The Crystal Palace
Patrick Beaver
The full story of the project that invented large-scale glass architecture.
 Greenhouse Gardener's Companion
Shane Smith
The practical guide for anyone dreaming of building their own greenhouse at home.

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