Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Lose Yourself Inside the World’s Most Beautiful Conservatories

Lose Yourself Inside the World’s Most Beautiful Conservatories

And wander through the impressive history of these dreamy glass beauties

Buildings are rooted in a simple function-providing shelter-and conservatories do just that. Originally built as windowed wood structures designed to protect delicate greenery from European winters in the 17th century, conservatories have blossomed into works of art in their own right, thanks to a combination of impressive engineering feats and innovative architectural design. In the new book The Conservatory: Gardens Under Glass (Princeton Architectural Press, $60), authors Alan Stein and Nancy Virts, founders of design firm Tanglewood Conservatories, examine the development of conservatories from their humble roots to their global expansion as awe-inspiring glass palaces to the avant-garde structures crafted by top architects today.

“Occasionally in history, there is a fortuitous confluence that brings together the potent and energetic streams of capability, creativity, opportunity, fashion, and desire,” writes Richard Barley, director of horticulture, learning, and operations at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the foreword to the book. “Fueled by the fluid forces of ambition and aspiration, the projects in this book represent exactly such a confluence.”

Here, take a peek at some of the best conservatories from its pages.



The orangery at the baroque palace Zwinger in Dresden, Germany, built in 1709 under the rule of Frederick Augustus the Strong, was inspired by the orangery at Versailles. Orangeries were a precursor to conservatories, designed as a combination of masonry and glass windows to house-you guessed it-orange trees. Photo: Alan Stein



Many architectural historians consider the Syon Park Conservatory, also known as the Great Conservatory, outside London to be the first true conservatory, where glass and metal begin to take priority over masonry. It was completed in 1830, just before the Victorian era, when conservatory architecture took off. Photo: Alan Stein



The interior of Syon Park Conservatory demonstrates impressive engineering prowess, particularly in the main dome. Photo: Alan Stein



After the glass palace boom in England, the European continent joined the trend with works like the Schönbrunn Palace Park conservatory in Vienna, completed in 1882. Photo: Alan Stein



Inspired by London’s long-lost Crystal Palace, which burned down in 1936, the Palacio de Cristal in Madrid was built to house plants from the Philippines, which was a Spanish colony when the structure was built in 1887. Photo: Alan Stein



Like the orangeries before them, some conservatories are part of private homes, such as the Winter House at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, completed in 1895. Photo: Courtesy of Carol M. Highsmith Archive (Library of Congress)



Though architect Albert Kahn was best known for his concrete constructions, he also designed the Belle Isle Conservatory, formally called the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, in Detroit. It was completed in 1904. Photo: Alan Stein



Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, has 4.5 acres of greenhouses, including this Main Conservatory, completed in 1921. Photo: Alan Stein



Built in 1936 as part of the Works Progress Administration, the Forest Park Conservatory in St. Louis moves away from the Victorian tradition with an Art Deco form. Photo: Alan Stein



The Parc André Citroën in Paris is home to two contemporary greenhouses constructed in the 1990s. Photo: Bewitch/Shutterstock.com



The Conservatory: Gardens Under Glass by Alan Stein and Nancy Virts. Photo: Courtesy of Princeton Architectural Press

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×