Conservatory (greenhouse) on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
A conservatory is a building or room having glass or other transparent roofing and walls, used as a
Conservatories originated in the 16th century when wealthy landowners sought to cultivate citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges that began to appear on their dinner tables brought by traders from warmer regions of the 
Further north in Europe, the preservation of orange trees became the trend with special-purpose buildings built to protect the tasty, but delicate fruit. Orangeries, as they came to be called, were typically enclosed structures built with wood, brick or stone with tall vertical windows on the south walls. The citrus trees were typically in huge pots or tubs, and wheeled outside for the summer months, as at the Gardens of Versailles. Use of these rooms expanded socially and practically, being used to entertain and to host a wider variety of plants. The term greenhouse came to describe the rooms and conservatories for tender plants. In the 18th century, sloped glass began to be used in conservatory design to allow more light into the structure, enhancing conditions for plant growth. This innovation may have been influenced by the work of Dutch scientist Jan Ingenhousz, who studied the role of light in photosynthesis. However, while his research likely contributed to advancements in horticultural practices, it is not definitively known if he directly influenced the adoption of sloping glass for conservatories.
The 19th century was the golden age of conservatory building, primarily in England. English conservatories were the product of English love of gardening and new technology in glass and heating technology. Many of the magnificent public conservatories, built of iron and glass, are the result of this era. Kew Gardens in London is an example of a large
Image:Syon House Conservatory, London.JPG, Syon House Grand Conservatory, Brentford, London
File:Muttart Conservatories Edmonton Alberta Canada 11A.jpg, Dawn at the Muttart Conservatory in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
File:Pearson Conservatory PE-002.jpg, Pearson Conservatory, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
File:Tollcross Winter Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 1279172.jpg, The Tollcross Winter Gardens in 2008.
File:Tollcross Park - inside the Winter Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 946233.jpg, Inside the Tollcross Winter Gardens in 2008.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
(San Marino, California) * Krohn Conservatory (Cincinnati) * Lamberton Conservatory at Highland Park (Rochester, New York) * Lena Meijer Conservatory at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Grand Rapids, Michigan) * Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Conservatory (Richmond, Virginia) * Lincoln Park Conservatory (Chicago) * Longwood Gardens (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania) * Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park (St. Paul) * Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (Milwaukee) * Moody Gardens (Galveston) * Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge Conservatory (Oklahoma City) * Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens (Pittsburgh) * Steinhardt Conservatory (
A conservatory is a building or room having glass or other transparent roofing and walls, used as a greenhouse
A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...
or a sunroom. Usually it refers to a space attached to a conventional building such as a house, especially in the United Kingdom. Elsewhere, especially in America, it can often refer to a large freestanding glass-walled building in a botanic garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is ...
or park, sometimes also called a palm house if tall enough for trees. Municipal conservatories became popular in the early 19th century.
Description
Many cities, especially those in cold climates and with largeEurope
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an populations, have built municipal conservatories to display tropical plants and hold flower displays. This type of conservatory was popular in the early nineteenth century, and by the end of the century people were also giving them a social use (e.g., tea parties). Conservatory architecture varies from typical Victorian glasshouses to modern styles, such as geodesic domes. Many were large and impressive structures and are included in the list below.
In the UK, the legal definition of a conservatory is a building that has at least 50% of its side wall area glazed and at least 75% of its roof glazed with translucent materials, either polycarbonate sheeting or glass. Today, the terms sunroom, solarium and conservatory are used interchangeably by the public, but in general the term conservatory and particularly English conservatory evoke the image of an ornate structure, echoing the traditions of that Victorian era of conservatory building. Modern conservatories tend also to be graced with a traditional cresting and finial, along with single, double patio or even bi-folding doors.
These structures have been designed and built around the world, in private gardens, parks, and botanical institutions. Smaller ''garden conservatories'' have become popular, which may be dual-function, equally devoted to horticulture
Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...
and recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for happiness, enjoyment, amusement, ...
, or favor the latter, as a solarium or sunroom.
History
Conservatories originated in the 16th century when wealthy landowners sought to cultivate citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges that began to appear on their dinner tables brought by traders from warmer regions of the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
. Preservation of citrus and other tender plants started out as crudely as building a pergola over potted plants or beds, or simply moving potted plants indoors for the cold season. Known in Italy as limonaia, these early structures employed wood panels or open galleries to protect from the cold.
Further north in Europe, the preservation of orange trees became the trend with special-purpose buildings built to protect the tasty, but delicate fruit. Orangeries, as they came to be called, were typically enclosed structures built with wood, brick or stone with tall vertical windows on the south walls. The citrus trees were typically in huge pots or tubs, and wheeled outside for the summer months, as at the Gardens of Versailles. Use of these rooms expanded socially and practically, being used to entertain and to host a wider variety of plants. The term greenhouse came to describe the rooms and conservatories for tender plants. In the 18th century, sloped glass began to be used in conservatory design to allow more light into the structure, enhancing conditions for plant growth. This innovation may have been influenced by the work of Dutch scientist Jan Ingenhousz, who studied the role of light in photosynthesis. However, while his research likely contributed to advancements in horticultural practices, it is not definitively known if he directly influenced the adoption of sloping glass for conservatories.
The 19th century was the golden age of conservatory building, primarily in England. English conservatories were the product of English love of gardening and new technology in glass and heating technology. Many of the magnificent public conservatories, built of iron and glass, are the result of this era. Kew Gardens in London is an example of a large greenhouse
A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...
used for growing tender and rare plants, or, less often, for birds and rare animals – sometimes with the plants and animals living together. Other examples include the Great Palm House at Kew Gardens that was built in 1844, built by Decimus Burton and the Crystal Palace, built for London's Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition that took ...
of 1851 by Sir Joseph Paxton.
The widespread construction of UK conservatories came to a halt with the onset of World War II. While the advent of insulated glass in the 1950s and 1960s saw the development of simple sunroom structures, it was not until the 1970s that creative architects and builders began to recreate the Victorian styling of 19th-century English conservatories in smaller domestic versions using insulated glass. In contemporary construction, a conservatory differs from an orangery in having more than 75% of its roof surface made from glass. Frame and roof materials include aluminium, PVCu and timber. A conservatory by definition must have more than 50% of its wall surface glazed. Contemporary conservatories use a number of technologies to ensure glass is as energy efficient as possible, ensuring it lets in the maximum light possible while maintaining a steady temperature throughout summer and winter. Technologies include argon-impregnated glass, easy clean coatings, heat reflective film, thermal ribbons or thermal breaks – hollow sections of glass that intercept heat. The latest glass technologies involve self-tinting glass that darkens as heat builds up during a summer's day and then lightens as the surface temperature of the glass cools later in the day.
Gallery
List of prominent conservatories
Argentina
* Buenos Aires Botanical Garden * Lucien Hauman Botanical Garden * Botanical Garden of the Municipality of Córdoba * La Plata Botanical Garden * Pillahuincó Botanical Garden * Alberto Roth Botanical Garden of Posadas * Oro Verde Botanical Garden * Dr. Miguel J. Culaciati Botanical Garden * Aníbal Oscar Carnevalini Botanical Garden * Arturo E. Ragonese Botanical Garden * Cascada Escondida Botanical Garden * Botanical Garden of the Arid PatagoniaAustralia
* Ballarat Botanical Gardens * Bicentennial Conservatory at Adelaide's Botanic Gardens * Fitzroy Gardens, MelbourneAustria
* Palmenhaus SchönbrunnBelgium
* Royal Greenhouses of LaekenCanada
* Muttart Conservatory (Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
, Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
)
* Bloedel Floral Conservatory (Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, B.C.)
*Allan Gardens
Allan Gardens is a Conservatory (greenhouse), conservatory and urban park located in the Garden District, Toronto, Garden District of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The property includes a playground, off-leash dog park, and a conservatory with six gr ...
(Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
)
* Centennial Park Conservatory (Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
)
* Assiniboine Park Conservatory (Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
, Manitoba
Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
)
China
* Beijing Botanical Garden (Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
)
* Shanghai Botanical Garden (Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
)
* South China Botanical Garden ( Qingyang, Guangzhou
Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...
)
Denmark
* Copenhagen Botanical GardensGermany
* Botanical Gardens and Botanical Museum, BerlinUnited Kingdom
England
*Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is a botanical garden, botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botany, botanical and mycology, mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1759, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its li ...
(southwest London)
*Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House is a stately home in the Derbyshire Dales, north-east of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield, England. The seat of the Duke of Devonshire, it has belonged to the House of Cavendish, Cavendish family si ...
(Derbyshire)
*Eden Project
The Eden Project () is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay clay pit, pit.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS Explorer Map 107 – Fowey, Looe & Lostwithiel''. .
The complex is dominated by two h ...
(Cornwall)
* Syon House (west London)
* Barbican Conservatory (central London)
*Anthaeum, Hove
The Anthaeum (also spelt Antheum or Anthæum) was an iron and glass conservatory planned by English botanist and landscape gardener Henry Phillips and designed by architect Amon Henry Wilds on land owned by Sir Isaac Goldsmid in Hove, a Susse ...
: built in 1830 with the world's largest dome, it collapsed on its opening day in 1833.
Northern Ireland
* Belfast Botanic GardensScotland
* Royal Botanic Garden,Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
* Kibble Palace
* The Tollcross Winter Gardens, Glasgow
* Springburn Winter Gardens
South Africa
* Pearson Conservatory,Port Elizabeth
Gqeberha ( , ), formerly named Port Elizabeth, and colloquially referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipal ...
* The Botanical Society Conservatory, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
Spain
* Palacio de Cristal del RetiroUnited States
Omni Mount Washington Hotel New Hampshire * Amazon Spheres (Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, Washington)
* Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory (Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
)
*Biosphere 2
University of Arizona Biosphere 2 is an American Earth system science research facility located in Oracle, Arizona. Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching, and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems, and i ...
( Oracle, Arizona)
* Birmingham Botanical Gardens (Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...
)
* Bolz Conservatory (Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...
)
* Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens (Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
)
* Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center (Pine Mountain, Georgia)
* Climatron (St. Louis)
* Conservatory of Flowers (San Francisco, California)
* Desert Dome at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...
)
* Desert Garden Conservatory (San Marino, California)
* Denver Botanic Gardens (Denver, Colorado
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
)
* Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse (Cleveland, OH)
* Enid Haupt Conservatory at New York Botanical Garden (New York)
* Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory (Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 United S ...
)
* Fort Worth Botanic Garden (Fort Worth, Texas)
* Franklin Park Conservatory (Columbus, Ohio)
* Garfield Park Conservatory (Chicago, Illinois)
* Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens (Indianapolis)
* Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden (Des Moines)
* Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens of Baltimore (Baltimore)The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
(San Marino, California) * Krohn Conservatory (Cincinnati) * Lamberton Conservatory at Highland Park (Rochester, New York) * Lena Meijer Conservatory at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Grand Rapids, Michigan) * Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Conservatory (Richmond, Virginia) * Lincoln Park Conservatory (Chicago) * Longwood Gardens (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania) * Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park (St. Paul) * Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (Milwaukee) * Moody Gardens (Galveston) * Myriad Botanical Gardens and Crystal Bridge Conservatory (Oklahoma City) * Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens (Pittsburgh) * Steinhardt Conservatory (
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
)
* Reiman Gardens (Ames, Iowa)
* United States Botanic Garden (Washington, D.C.)
* Volunteer Park Conservatory (Seattle, Washington)
* W. W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory (Tacoma, Washington)
India
* Lalbagh Botanical Garden (Bengaluru, India)See also
*Roof lantern
A roof lantern is a Daylighting (architecture), daylighting architectural element. Architectural lanterns are part of a larger roof and provide natural light into the space or room below. In contemporary use it is an architectural skylight stru ...
* Tessellated roof
References
* *External links
{{Authority control Biorepositories Greenhouses Glass architecture Rooms