Basic Site Details

Name: Glasgow Botanic Garden, Kibble Palace
City or county: Glasgow
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status:  
Grid ref:
Notes: Originally designed and built as the conservatory for Coulport House, Loch Long, Argyll (see separate entry), and subsequently moved to Glasgow Botanic Garden in 1872.

Personal information from Cousland family per Alfred G Lochhead.

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 3Coulport House, conservatory Originally built as a conservatory to Coulport House
Item 2 of 3Glasgow Botanic Garden, The Art Palace From 1873, having been floated from Coulport House to Glasgow up the Kelvin on a raft
Item 3 of 3Royal Botanic Institution, Kibble Palace The Royal Botanic Institution bought the lease in 1880

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 2Botanic garden  
Item 2 of 2Palace  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 61863  First phase: cruciform structure with apsed ends and central entrance transept, built as a conservatory to Coulport House, Loch Long, Argyll
Item 2 of 618651866 Second phase: aisled domes, one small, one large on axis of transept: total cost £15,000 - still as conservatory to Coulport House
Item 3 of 6March 1871  Offered to Glasgow Town Council for Queen's Park; offer declined
Item 4 of 6August 1871  Offered to Glasgow Botanic Garden, subject to 20-year lease; offer accepted
Item 5 of 6May 1873  Reopened in Glasgow Botanic Garden as The Art Palace
Item 6 of 61881  Converted to winter garden; pool and orchestra pit filled in; dome raised on clerestory

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 5Boucher & Cousland A18631866Cousland made wire model, executed by ironfounder John Boyd of Paisley; it is unclear whether Cousland was involved in later phases of work
Item 2 of 5James Boyd (or John Boyd) A18631866Executed the structure, based on wire model by James Cousland
Item 3 of 5James Cousland A18631866Cousland made wire model, executed by ironfounder John Boyd of Paisley; it is unclear whether Cousland was involved in later phases of work
Item 4 of 5James Boyd (or John Boyd) B18711873Extensions, following the move of the structure from Loch Long to Glasgow - unclear whether alone or in collaboration with Cousland
Item 5 of 5James Boyd (or John Boyd) C1881 Converted to winter garden; pool and orchestra pit filled in; dome raised on clerestory - all to designs by Joseph Dalton Hooker, Director of Kew Gardens

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Parent Structure and Site

This structure is related to the following parent structure or site (click the item to view details):
 Building nameNotes
Item 1 of 1Coulport HouseSee separate entry for Kibble Palace in Glasgow Botanic Garden, originally built as a conservatory for Coulport House and floated up the Kelvin on a raft to reopen in greatly enlarged form as The Art Palace in May 1873.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 5Curtis, Eric Kibble Palace   
Item 2 of 5Kohlmaier, Georg and von Sartory, Barna1981Houses of Glass   
Item 3 of 5Reeve, Richard2005A Victorian Burgh: the story of Cove and Kilcreggan  pp135-142
Item 4 of 5Williamson, Riches, Higgs1990Glasgow (The Buildings of Scotland)  p305
Item 5 of 5Woods, May and Warren, Arete1988Glasshouses