The renovation of the old greenhouse in the Botanical Garden of the University of Graz has been completed on 5 July 2021. The building is more than 130 years old and is the only surviving example of university glasshouse architecture from the late 19th century.
The Botanical Garden was erected in 1889 by the Viennese kk iron construction workshop Ignaz Gridl. Later on, in the 1990s, a cultural initiative saved the ageing glass and iron architecture piece at the last second from complete dismantling, and in 2008 the historic core building became a protected site.
Today the area of the Botanical Garden covers around 2.9 hectares and, with 7,400 plant species, is home to around three times as many species as there are in Austria's “wilderness”.
Considering the building's long and unique history, great attention to detail was paid so the renovation was done without disrupting the historical integrity of the site. One example is the steel framing painted in the original color green from 1889, typical for these types of botanical gardens. In the end, the project’s costs amounted to 3.8 million euros, co-funded by the city of Graz and the state of Styria, as well as BIG and the University.
After the renovation, a total of around 530 square meters will be available for public and scientific use. The property will be used for plant cultivation, university exercises and lectures as well as for scientific events and forums. Some of the building’s wings were upgraded with research stations while other special experimental areas were created for science.
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