Lyon Botanical Garden
Grand nineteenth-century glasshouses rebuilt in iron after their original wooden frames rotted through.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Lyon's Botanical Garden starts with a Grande Serre built in 1867 that lasted barely a decade before the warm, moist air meant to nurture its palms began rotting its own wooden frame. You'll hear how the city brought in the engineer Domenget to tear it out and rebuild it in iron and glass between 1877 and 1880, using the same technique then going up in Paris's exhibition halls. Look up at the ribs of the dome above you as you listen.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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