Palmenhaus

The Palm House in the Schönbrunn Palace Gardens in Vienna is the best known of the four greenhouses there and one of the largest of its kind in the world. It was opened by Emperor Franz Joseph I on June 19, 1882, and today houses around 4,500 different plant species. The history of the site goes back to the 18th century, however, when Emperor Franz I acquired an area for a Dutch Garden. The original glasshouses and hothouses were torn down during the construction of the new building, since an all-glass iron structure was considered necessary to create optimal conditions for light-loving exotic plants. The present building was designed by the court architect Franz-Xaver von Segenschmid and built by the court locksmith Ignaz Gridl.

Architecturally, the building impresses with its imposing size: 111 meters long, 29 meters wide and 25 meters high. It is made of wrought iron and cast iron and is covered with 45,000 panes of glass. The rectangular central building is flanked by a cold house to the north and a tropical house to the south, which were originally separated by movable glass walls. Inside, the curved structure rests on cast-iron columns. The Palm House barely survived World War II; in a bombing raid in 1945, almost all of the glazing was shattered and many plants froze. Reconstruction began in 1948, and the restored house was ceremonially reopened in 1953. A comprehensive renovation, which had to be carried out in stages because of the building's protected status and its function as winter quarters for the plants, took place between 1986 and 1990.

For visitors, the Palm House is a place to discover tropical and subtropical flora. At the center stands, traditionally, the largest palm in the house, which has to be replaced regularly when it threatens to reach the glass roof. Well-known specimens were the Maria Theresa Palm and the Sisi Palm, which was replaced by the Mirna Palm. Special highlights include an olive tree estimated to be 350 years old, the living fossil Wollemia nobilis, and a coco de mer palm. The azalea collection with centuries-old specimens and the tree ferns are also worth a look. Modern technology such as a misting system to control humidity and a water treatment system that collects rainwater for irrigation now keeps the delicate plants thriving.