Metal lock 1900 à Asson dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques

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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Asson metal greenhouse, known as the 1900 greenhouse, is a ironwork construction designed at the end of the 19th century. Presented at the Universal Exhibition of 1900 in Paris, she won the first prize in iron and lockmaking. After the exhibition, it is acquired by the American Norman Prince, who moved to the villa Sainte-Hélène in Pau (now prefectural villa). Later, the Count of Béarn bought it and transferred it to his estate from Eslayou to Lescar, where it fell into disuse, transformed into a henhouse.

In 1959, the Saint-Pie brothers discovered the abandoned greenhouse and began its restoration. They dismantle it, transport it to Asson and lift it up seamlessly, using 10,000 metal screws and a ton of mastic. After three years of work, it is re-implanted in the Asson Zoo, where it houses for 40 years a collection of 5,000 cactia and succulent plants. Ranked a historic monument in 2001, it underwent a new restoration in 2006, but was eventually abandoned, invaded by vegetation.

Measuring 30 metres long, 6 wide and 8 high, the greenhouse consists of a square central pavilion with curved roof, flanked by two symmetrical wings with broken arch roofs. Fully removable, it is assembled by screws, without any welding. Built by Maury and Stoekel, its conservation cost is estimated at 400,000 euros, including dismantling, transport and catering. Although private, it remains an exceptional testimony of metallurgical art of the time.

In 2023, a local petition opposed its possible sale to a Dutch castle, highlighting its unique heritage character. The management of the Asson Zoo, although owner, states that it does not consider its acquisition, favouring further investment. The greenhouse, despite its state, embodies a remarkable industrial and botanical heritage, linked to the history of the Universal Exhibitions and technical innovation of the nineteenth century.

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