The evolution of the glass building from its humble hothouse origins.-ul--li- Traces the evolution of the glass building from its humble hothouse beginnings to the climate-controlled, high-tech structures of the 20th century -li-A wide range of horticultural and other building types, including early 16th-century orangeries and examples from the 18th and 19th centuries when increasingly more complex structures, incorporating iron and industrial construction techniques, were built -li-Charts the contributions of innovators such as Joseph Paxton and John C Loudon and their influence on pioneers of 20th-century design such as Paul Scheerbart and Bruno Taut -li-Illustrated with a wide selection of archival and contemporary photographs, etchings and lithographs