The Palmenhaus Schönbrunn is a large greenhouse in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
,
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
featuring plants from around the world. It opened in 1882. It is the most prominent of the four greenhouses in
Schönbrunn Palace Park, and is also among the largest botanical exhibits of its kind in the world, with around 4,500 plant species.
History
Several forerunners were built in the Palace Park in the 18th and 19th centuries, under Emperors
Francis I and
Joseph II. The present building was built by Ignaz Gridl following plans by court architect Franz-Xaver von Segenschmid,
known for his projects of bridges, and Sigmund Wagner. Groundbreaking took place in 1881 and
Franz Joseph I opened the greenhouse on 19 June 1882.
[Das Grosse Palmenhaus im Schlosspark Schönbrunn]
Vienna Federal Gardens. Since 1918 it has been run by the ''Bundesgärten'' (Federal Gardens).
A
heavy bomb attack on Schönbrunn Palace in February 1945 destroyed most of the glazing of the Palmenhaus. Many plants died, although some were saved by being transferred to the nearby
Sonnenuhrhaus. The rebuilding began in 1948, and the Palmenhaus was reopened in 1953.
The building was closed to the public in 1976 as a safety measure following the
collapse of the Reichsbrücke. Renovations were carried out between 1986 and 1990.
Waagner-Biro.
Architecture
Built with 600 tons of wrought iron and 120 tons of cast iron
Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...
, the Palmenhaus is 111 metres long, 28 metres wide and 25 metres high, and has 45,000 glass tiles. The annexes on the north and south sides serve as a coldhouse and a hothouse respectively.
Notable features
*The oldest plant by some distance is a roughly 350-year-old olive tree donated by Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
in 1974.
*A '' Wollemia'', a so-called “living fossil” species, discovered in 1994. This one is on permanent loan from the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna and is one of the few to be cultivated outside Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
*A coco de mer, donated by the Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...
in 1990 and not expected to blossom for around 50 to 100 years.
*A victoria waterlily, which blossomed in 2001 for the first time in more than 40 years.
*The centre of the building has traditionally been the location for the tallest plant. The current centrepiece, planted in 2008, is a '' Livistona chinensis'' known as the “Mirna palm” after the Austrian swimmer Mirna Jukić.
*Other notable collections include the azaleas and the cyatheales.
See also
* Wüstenhaus Schönbrunn (Desert House), featuring succulent plants and desert fauna, located in the nearby Sonnenuhrhaus.
*There is another '' Palmenhaus'' in the Vienna Burggarten.
Notes
External links
Home page on the Schönbrunn Palace website
Further reading
* Gerhard Deimel, Kurt Vogl and Ingrid Gregor: ''Palast der Blüten – Das Schönbrunner Palmenhaus'', Holzhausen, Vienna, 2002, .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmenhaus Schonbrunn
Tourist attractions in Vienna
Buildings and structures in Hietzing
Botanical gardens in Austria
Schönbrunn Palace
Greenhouses
1882 establishments in Austria