User:Lil Beastea/sandbox

Who Designed What?

Letters between Decimus Burton, Richard Turner, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sir William J. Hooker, The Commisioners of Works and The Office of Works at Kew have letters between each showing that Turner was more of a part design process of the Palm House then he (Turner)  was originally given credit for.

Sir William J. Hooker was appointed Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens in 1841. Sir William had many plans to improve the Royal Gardens, one of which was a new Palm House.

Decimus Burton was asked to drew up preliminary sketches for the proposed Palm house in 1844 for Sir William Hooker to review.

Mr. Burton disagreed with Turner’s original plans due to the Gothic styleTurner used and in his prior works. Burton preferred the Neo-classical style with is shown throughout the design of the Palm House. Burton did take notice of Turner’s  planing of where and what plans would be planted. Turner knew of the “problems of heating,  ventilation, and structur[ral] ” issues greenhouses may deal with.

In a letter debated March 20, 1881, John Smith (appointed a Curator in 1841 of the Gardens and friend of Turner) a  story of  Mr. Turner quickly sketching his plan of the Palm House to the ‘Building News’. Thomas Drew, also wrote to the ‘Building News’, claiming “to have an authoritative statement from Turner...”‘the Palm House was not only erected by him, but  was solely his design, although varied out under the supervision of Mr Decimus Burton.”

Upkeep On The Palm House

In the 1881 “Report on The Process and Condition of The Royal Gardens at Kew”, the flowerbeds in front  of the building were redone and gravel paths were removed. The flowers at the back of the Palm House and the low areas didn’t drain well. As a result, drainage was put in to solve this issue.