david altrath catches vienna’s palmenhaus in movie
series
In the 4th chapter of his ongoing photographic series Greenhouse, German photographer David Altrath turns his lens on Vienna’s historical Palmenhaus, a monumental glass-and-steel structure from the late 19th century. Through Altrath’s cinematic structures, the Palmenhaus becomes a living archive of style, climate, and culture, captured in soft tones.
all images by David Altrath the images depict the sensory richness of the greenhouse With Greenhouse pt. 4, Hamburg-based photographer David Altrath reactivates the atmospheric power of the Palmenhaus. His pictures welcome the viewer to stick around, to see the interaction of structure and
growth,
of time and temperature. Originally constructed in 1881/82 on the premises of the previous Dutch Botanical Garden, the Palmenhaus stretches 113 meters and is divided into 3 interconnected structures. The central pavilion increases to 28 meters, its skyrocketing form flanked by two a little lower wings that together form a sweeping rhythm of arches and iron. This architectural structure is practical and meaningful, forming a delicate balance between industrial precision and organic flow.Each section of
the greenhouse hosts an unique environment zone. A cold house lies in the north, a temperate zone at the core, and a tropical home in the southern wing. This triadic arrangement allows visitors to pass through varied biomes within one continuous glass area. Altrath’s imagery catches the sensory richness of these spaces, thick foliage, filtered light, misted air, all rendered with the subtle texture of analog film.
this is the 4th chapter of Altrath’s ongoing photographic series Greenhouse
the German professional photographer turns his lens on Vienna’s historic Palmenhaus
< img src="image/gif; base64, R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP/// yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" alt="david altrath photographs vienna's palmenhaus in analog stills of light, foliage and type-4" width="818" height="1227" data-src="https://static.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/david-altrath-vienna-palmenhaus-analog-stills-light-foliage-form-designboom-02.jpg"/ > a significant glass-and-steel structure from the late 19th century