Press Release

Kew: The Architects Playground

Heritage Year 2006
27 May – 24 September 2006
In association with Warner Breaks

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew recently described by The Guardian as “one of the most valuable architecture parks in the land” is set to celebrate its rich history throughout the summer months. This summer's Heritage Festival is set to demonstrate that a visit to Kew is as rewarding to the lover of building design and structural space as it is to even the most ardent of horticulturists. “This feast of events will peel back the layers of our landscape,” said Professor Sir Peter Crane, Director of Kew Gardens. “The gardens that you see today are overlaid with Victorian and 20th century developments, but the Georgian bones are still there.”

Kew's abundance of buildings ranges from the sublime to the fanciful: only within these three hundred acres of west London would an avenue of trees connect a Chinese Pagoda to the most famous glasshouse in the world, Decimus Burton and Richard Tuner's Palm House. The Pagoda, completed in 1762 as a surprise for Princess Augusta by the architect Sir William Chambers, opens to the public on the 27 May. Visitors will be able to climb the ten storey octagonal structure (nearly 50 metres in height) to marvel at the 360 degree panorama of the Gardens – a chance to fully understand the unique geo-spatial design of the World Heritage Site for the first time – and see the city spread beyond.

Kew Palace, the former residence of King George III and his family, is open to visitors after a decade-long conservation and representation project. The interiors of the four-storey brick house, built c.1631 by Samuel Fortrey, have been carefully restored to their original Georgian décor by Historic Royal Palaces, the charity responsible for the building. The initials of Fortrey, a merchant of Dutch origin, together with those of his wife Catherine, can be seen above the entrance. The palace is characterised by red bricks laid in a style known as Flemish bond – bricks arranged with sides and ends alternating – and together with the gabled front give the exterior a Dutch appearance. Later alterations included the installation of sash windows to replace the original brick mullions and transforms.

Queen Charlotte's Cottage will also be open to the public every weekend of the festival. When King George III married Charlotte in 1761 she was given the small thatched cottage that was later used by the family as a shelter, and for picnics. Today's visitors will not only be able to picnic in near this superb example of Georgian thatching and timber work but also see the exhibition of 18th Century botanical art by Frances Bauer, who was tutor to Queen Charlotte and her children.

George III was not the first royal to inhabit the site at Kew; Prince Frederick leased Kew Park in the early eighteenth century. During this time he employed the renowned architect and designer, William Kent, to extend and remodel the existing modest residence, resulting the large and prestigious building known as the White House, which lasted for less than a century. During this year's festival visitor's will be able to see the results of the extensive archaeological research undertaken into the grounds in the form of markings demonstrating where the foundations of this lost building still lie.

Throughout the 1740s, Prince Frederick also commissioned a series of garden follies and following his death in 1751, his widow Princess Augusta worked with architect Sir William Chambers and the Earl of Bute to continue architectural development of the Gardens. Most of the follies were not built to last, being made out of flimsy materials, and the overnight building of follies is one of the legendary attributes of Kew Gardens . Using original construction drawings and contemporary engravings, a skilled scene painter will create two-thirds scale recreations of these follies. These will allow our visitors to experience some of the lost architecture that amused and inspired 18th century society. The chosen buildings are Goupy's House of Confucius and Sir William Chambers' Alhambra, two of the most prominent buildings of the time and two for which we have the most detailed references.

Further information

For further information and images please visit www.kew.org/press or contact Lauren Bird, Oliver Basciano or Anna Quenby in the Kew Gardens Press Office, Telephone 020 8332 5607, email pr@kew.org .

For further information about Kew 's history and heritage please see www.kew.org/heritage.

Notes to Editors

Kew Gardens opens daily during the summer at 9.30am and closes at 6.30pm weekdays, 7.30pm weekends and bank holidays. Adults £11.75; Concessions £8.75; Children aged 16 and under enter the Gardens FREE of charge.

The Pagoda will be open from 27 May 2006 . Entry to the Pagoda will be priced at £3 per person, children under 6 years old will not be admitted. Timed half hour slots, limited places. Tickets must be bought at the gate.

Kew Palace will be open from 27 April until 30 September 2006 . Entry to Kew Palace will be priced at £5 adults, £4 concessions, £3.00 child (16 and under). Entry price to Kew Palace is on top of ticket price to Kew Gardens . Tickets available upon entry to Kew Gardens or at the Kew Palace welcome centre. For further information visit www.hrp.org.uk or email vikki.wood@hrp.org.uk

Visitor Information: tel 020 8332 5655, email info@kew.org , or visit www.kew.org.

Warner Breaks

Warner Breaks offers UK short themed breaks with top class entertainment and a range of indoor and outdoor activities for adults. Warner Breaks has thousands of loyal customers, many of which return time after time, year after year to the extraordinary choice of six Historic Grade 1 and 2 listed Hotels, three Character Hotels and four Coastal Resorts.

Three-night weekend and two and four-night midweek packages offer great value for money, being on a half board basis and including a full programme of live nightly entertainment, superb leisure facilities and a wide choice of recreational activities in beautiful landscaped gardens and grounds. For further information about Warner call 0870 601 6012 or visit www.warnerbreaks.co.uk.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Kew Gardens is a major international visitor attraction and its 132 hectares of landscaped gardens attract over one million visitors per year. Kew was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and represents over 250 years of historical landscape. The site houses over 40 listed buildings and other structures including the Palm House, Temperate House, Orangery and Pagoda as well as two ancient monuments, Queen Charlotte's Cottage and Kew Palace . RBG, Kew is a world famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding living collection of plants and world-class herbarium as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. www.kew.org.

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