Kraków/ A conservatory with tropical plants has been opened in the Jagiellonian University Botanical Garden

The historic Victorian orangery that stood on the site for over 80 years has been rebuilt in the Jagiellonian University Botanical Garden. The grand opening of the facility took place on Monday as part of the Jagiellonian University Day celebrations.

The new greenhouse - the Warszewicz Orangery is located in the central place of the garden. The building was built on the site of the former orangery from 1882 and has the same dimensions. The height of the building from the lowest ground level to the gable line is 11.6 m, and with the spire - almost 15 m.

The ground floor facility was designed as a steel structure with glazing in the facade system. It was topped with a glass mansard roof. The building was adapted to the needs of disabled people.

Inside, a historical collection of plants from Central and South America collected by the 19th-century Polish botanist and traveler Józef Warszewicz during his expeditions to these parts of the world has been recreated. A space has also been prepared for educational purposes, the organization of conferences and artistic events.

The orangery also features boards and educational materials presenting the discoveries and achievements of Polish botanists from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in tropical regions.

The conservatory has been equipped with a number of modern energy-saving systems. A VRF system has been used for heating and cooling – an air-source heat pump for heating and cooling. The sanitary and utility rooms in the back will be heated by water heaters using a conventional heat source. Air curtains have been used above the entrance door.

The construction of the Warszewicz Orangery cost almost PLN 9.7 million, of which over PLN 6.6 million was co-financed from EU funds.

The Jagiellonian University Day is celebrated annually by the academic community on 12 May, on the anniversary of the founding of the university by King Casimir the Great – this year marks the 661st anniversary of that event.

The celebrations began in the Wawel Cathedral, where wreaths and flowers were laid on the graves of the university's founders. Then, a ceremonial session of the Jagiellonian University Senate was held in the Collegium Novum, during which the doctorate of Prof. Kazimierz Strzałka was renewed after 50 years. The celebrations ended in the evening in the Jagiellonian University Botanical Garden. (PAP)

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