Tanglewood Conservatories Blog – Alan Stein's Writings about Custom Conservatory Design and More

One of our engineers, Duane, found an interesting story online and sent Alan the link. After that, Alan tasked me with finding out more about this fascinating conservatory at the bottom of a lake! Read on to find out more.

Witley Park was originally a 19th century mansion on an estate in Surrey, England owned by J. Whitaker Wright. Wright obtained the property in 1890 and set about renovating the already large Georgian mansion into a huge residence with 32 bedrooms, 2 dining rooms, a ballroom, a theater and a private hospital!  The estate was located on approximately 9,000 acres of land on which Wright, using 600 men, created lakes, flattened existing hills and then built new ones in other places.  One of the man-made lakes, situated behind where the mansion once stood (it burned to the ground in 1952), contains the aforementioned underwater conservatory.

Finding information on the “ballroom under a lake” or as some writers posited, a billiards room under a lake, proved to be a little frustrating. I was hoping to be able to get first-hand accounts of the buildings, but many of the stories I came across were second or third-hand accounts. No matter, I did find the back-story, which I mentioned above, and many pictures, which I will provide links to below.

Suffice it to say, there are at least two rooms underneath the lake, including a conservatory, and the abovementioned glass-roofed billiards room. In order to reach the underwater conservatory, it’s been said that there is a door, which leads to steps made of stone.

At the bottom of the stairway is a boat that takes visitors (though the land is privately owned now, and presumably the conservatory is not open to visitors) to two large doors that open to a stairway leading to an underwater tunnel.

The tunnel leads to the underwater conservatory, with its algae covered glass panes.

For more pictures, and some informative commentary from some people who were able to access the underwater rooms in April 2006, go to Paul Holmes’ photostream on flickr. Included in that set of photos are some of a statue of a man standing on the surface of the water just above the underwater conservatory.

The next time I go to England, unfortunately it’s been 10 years since my last visit, I plan to see if I can explore this intriguing, mysterious, and unique conservatory at the bottom of a lake.

If you’ve been there, or know someone who has, I’d love to hear from you!

When I first began writing for Tanglewood Conservatories, I have to admit, I didn’t know much about the history of conservatories. I knew that I liked the look of them and that it would be nice to have one, but I didn’t know that they were developed long ago, and that they are known by many different names – orangeries, hothouses, cold houses, greenhouses, lanterns, domes, and skylights, to name just a few. As I began to write this post, I was going to write about my experiences over the past few months and how doing research on different conservatories around the world and delving into their individual histories has taught me so much. However, as I started to write, one of my favorite conservatories all of a sudden popped into my mind and the post took a different route than I had intended!

Image Courtesy of Como Park Website

I have been to many conservatories during my lifetime, but the one in St. Paul, Minnesota at Como Park was probably my first and I have fond memories of it. I lived in Minnesota from the time I was in 4th grade until a few years after I graduated from college, so about 15 years or so. Como Park was probably one of the first places my parents took my sister and me to visit. For one reason, it was close. The other reason, and probably the most important at that time in our lives, was because it was free! Como Park includes a zoo, the conservatory, a lake with a large pavilion (for concerts and other events), and many green spaces. The whole park is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon on a warm spring Minnesota day (other days too, but spring in Minnesota, especially May, was my favorite time of year).

It was these early memories that caused me to write a page on the Como Park Conservatory for the “Our Heritage” section. I hope you will visit the page and perhaps decide that a visit to St. Paul and Como Park is in order. Minnesota has a reputation of being bitterly cold in the winter and hot and humid in the summer, but it really is a lovely place to visit and the people, who may have cold noses in the winter time, actually have very warm hearts all year ‘round!

Tree houses are like Conservatories. I’m as much in love with great tree houses as I am great conservatories. In many ways they are quite similar.

Both conservatories and tree houses are unconventional building types and lend themselves to creative unconventional design solutions. Both wear their structure in a way that all can see. If done well, both conservatories and tree houses become really cool spaces and they are both synonymous with being in an enclosed space while still being “out in nature”.

A few months ago, after I posted the videos of the guitar factories, Olivia who is lead in our assembly department, sent me the following pictures of really some cool tree houses.

Check out these amazing pictures courtesy of her.

Alan

Oftentimes, Nancy and I get to work as part of a team of very talented professionals. These are some of our best projects and we enjoy the team approach best.

As it turns out, successful architects these days are increasingly successful team builders. With building products becoming more complex and technical, a successful project with a happy, satisfied customer often demands multiple team players each bringing specialized expertise to the job.

With a conservatory, the challenges are great because the building is so unique. Few architects or builders have had much experience with conservatory or greenhouse construction. Issues such as heating and cooling, wiring and structural loading can be difficult enough but when you realize the conservatory is not constructed using standard parts like 2 x 4’s or with the standard construction details that most architects and builders are familiar with, the challenges to great design can become daunting.

Therefore, the architect has a challenge to design a building that they do not know how will be built. This can lead to having to compromise on design ideas or details so that they will conform to a manufactures typical details or blowing out the budget completely with something totally custom. Sometimes the result is a building that though the client loves the design, the project comes in over budget and sometimes, it may never gets built.

So, how can this be prevented? One of the best methods that many architects, designers and builders have been using is to bring in the experts early.

Someone who knows their specialty is able to simultaneously work both the design side of the issues as well as the budget side so that at the end of the process, there are no surprises.

The project pictured above is a great example of how to do it right. The architect was designing a new home and produced an initial concept of the conservatory and then asked us to take over. We worked back and forth, the architect reviewing our schemes and making comments and suggestions as we went but relying heavily on our expertise.

The end result is a great project and a very happy customer.

Alan

Rob Ryan sent me the link to this video tour of the Original Fender Guitar Factory shot back in 1959!

This is a great video clip for anyone who has an interest in woodworking and in how thinks are made or in production processes. Knowing something about production processes for extremely high quality wood products I can relate to much of what I see here. I am especially fond of it because it shows the fledgling company making product by hand. I could relate to the scenes of guys cutting parts out on the different types of power saws and the apparent skill you can sense in their working the parts. There is a guy cutting out each guitar body one at a time on a band saw. It looks like he does the necks as well just using his eye as a guide. It reminds me of our roots 20 years ago, in particular, before the introduction of our CNC technology. I also like the guitar lick in the background.

If you look at this video, notice the guys playing the guitars on the shop floor at the very end of the clip. These guys could play these instruments and it’s very obvious that they really enjoyed doing it – probably under the guise of testing the products! I can see the pride that they have in producing these instruments all over their faces as they fool around jamming with the finished guitars.

So I was curious to see what the Fender production process looks like now and I found it in another video showing how the work is done today. This is video was done in their new shop in Corona, California.

Aside from being in a much more modern looking space, I was interested to see that though they have automated many facets of the production process, a lot of the work was still done by hand. I was especially surprised to see that some of the work which I thought lent itself to being automated was done by hand.

There a couple of cool shots of auto sanding machines doing the necks and other parts but it looks like they still cut the slots for the frets and insert the frets by hand.

Of course there are dust masks and other hazmat precautions in place as you would expect that weren’t in the older factory.

I love to look at these videos because they show me how others do some of the same things we do at Tanglewood. Sometimes, I see something and think wow, that would improve how we do something, other times, I think, wow, we are far ahead of them and could teach them a few things!

I also came across a video of a production plant in China making what looked like knock offs or reproductions of the Fender guitars.

This was also an eye opener as the Chinese plant looked much like the Fender plant did in 1959 but not nearly as well organized. In fact it looks like a complete mess. It is also evident that they lack the level of care that you can see in the people at the Fender shop. Though the work was pretty much being done by hand in the same way, it’s a completely different world. Also missing was any kind of hazmat control.

When it comes time to “test out” the finished guitars, the Chinese technician merely checks the tuning and functioning of the instrument with no such joy as the guys at the old Fender plant. I guess the electric guitar does not hold the same exalted place in popular culture and it does in the west.

Check out these videos.

Alan

Yes, as the title says, changes are coming but we are not taking anything away, we are adding! The team here at Tanglewood Conservatories is looking toward the future and soon you will begin seeing new pages appearing on the site. With this post, we want to tell you what the new page additions will contain. We know you will like what you see!

We want the focus of these new pages to provide more information on “Our Heritage” or the history of conservatories. We are adding to and improving this section with the intent that it will serve as a conservatory resource guide for you. One where anyone can come to learn more about the architecture of greenhouses, sunrooms, glass and steel pool enclosures, conservatories and the like.

Yes, Tanglewood Conservatories’ main business is creating and building steel and glass structures such as tropical palm houses, pool house cupolas, domes, lanterns and skylights but we also want to share our wealth of knowledge about the history of these magnificent buildings and how they came to be a part of the world’s architectural culture. Their significance in European culture and now American culture cannot be emphasized enough in architectural terms or in aesthetics; not to mention their practical uses such as greenhouses that allow fruits and vegetables to be grown out of season and in unfriendly outdoor climates.

Another reason for adding to Our Heritage section is that we want to highlight more of the world’s great conservatories. There are so many unique, magnificent and gorgeous examples of these architectural wonders throughout the world and we want to share them with you.

We hope you enjoy our new conservatory heritage pages. Perhaps they will help you learn more about our passion and why it is our passion. So go ahead, make a cup of tea, pour a glass of wine, or have a cappuccino, and sit back and join us on a journey through “Our Heritage.” We think you will enjoy your journey.

And remember, if you have any comments, suggestions or questions, we welcome them. Just click on the “Add a Comment” link at the top of this post and let us know what is on your mind.

Hello, my name is Danielle and I am honored to have been asked by Alan to begin contributing to the Tanglewood blog on a regular basis. I will be writing about all sorts of conservatory subjects and am excited to be a part of this blog. Please check back regularly and feel free to comment on any post that piques your interest. Now, on to my first post!

On November 22, 2010 a video featuring an interview with Alan Stein and Nancy Virts, founders of Tanglewood Conservatories, was posted on their web site. I hope you will take a few minutes to view it and learn more about what Tanglewood Conservatories does and how they go about doing it. You will hear Alan discussing their “artistic craftsmanship” and in the process see gorgeous examples of some of his and Nancy’s favorite conservatory, dome, skylight, and lantern projects.

You can view the video, plus conservatory videos, in the video section of the web site or you can click the “Watch Video” link from the home page, listed under the heading “LATEST VIDEO.”

I love what Tanglewood Conservatories brings to each of their projects. It is obvious that they care about each and every project. In the video you will hear Alan say that when they begin working with a potential client they look for a “unique synthesis of the client’s dreams, hopes and desires.” They start by “looking at the architecture of their home” and then they bring their “understanding of the traditions of the 19^th century” to the project. Alan says, “I like to think that with great architecture, you can change the way that people live their lives.” How exciting it must be to be a part of that! He goes on to say, “Every single project is individually handcrafted” and “it’s a complete adventure.”

People often wonder how and where Alan and Nancy first became captivated with conservatories. Not surprisingly, it happened while they were traveling in Europe. Unfortunately, in the United States, with “the dawn of mass production” the ability to build the conservatory type of “individualistic architecture waned” but because Europe has been building structures for centuries, there are many buildings featuring conservatories, domes and lanterns. Alan and Nancy decided to bring back this unique type of construction and in the process use special copper, steel and woodworking details to handcraft all of their projects.

“We have the capability to be able to figure out how to do it and how to do it in a really artistic and a great way,” says Alan. And, as Nancy says, “We are very passionate about our work and very serious about our work, and it starts from the first phone call ­– talking to the client, making that connection with that person. It actually transforms the way they live in their house.”

Their passion comes from the architecture; Alan is “a tremendous fan of the old historic buildings, the traditional conservatories.” According to Alan, conservatories in Europe were “engineering marvels” that were “built at the height of the industrial revolution.” Using steel and large panes of glass had just been invented; glazing roofs with glass was new, as was bringing plants indoors. These ideas are what gives Tanglewood Conservatories “the basis for [creating] this wonderful architecture.”

Alan and Nancy try to “listen carefully and try to discern [what the] driving force [is] behind each [conservatory, dome or lantern] project;” “once you understand that, then the design falls into place.” Each Tanglewood project “is as unique as a person is unique.” There is no other structure like a conservatory. Watch this video and you will see for yourself. Each conservatory is different from the last, and each conservatory is different from the next. As Nancy aptly puts it, you’ll “never, ever, ever find one exactly the same.” Alan follows this up by saying, “There is no other structure like a conservatory. It puts the full display of nature on view, all year ‘round.”

The music accompanying the video is Mozart’s DIVERTIMENTO 17 – Rondo (Allegro); it’s lovely and uplifting. Your hearing and visual senses will be delighted by watching Nancy and Alan explain what they do, why they do it, and how they do it. And dare I say why they love to do it!

Many people come to Tanglewood Conservatories interested in having us produce not a full conservatory or greenhouse, but a singular dome, cupola, roof lantern or skylight.

Last year, The Financial Times even featured one of our copper domes on their list of possible items to give that special person who already has everything.

Sometimes a conservatory is a larger project than a client want to tackle at the time. Sometimes it is cost, sometimes they just want a small accent for a specific part of their home.

The skylight above is just such a case. The copper and bronze folly mounts atop a pergola that connect two wings of the home. The curved glass dome echoes the heavy timbered brackets on the home and the custom cast bronze finials reflect the architect’s wonderful, fanciful vision.

It is typical of our custom glass and copper domes that each is individually designed- very often using details we’ve made up just for that project. Sometimes, we are trying to invent a look or express a concept in the same way a theater set might be conceived to evoke a feeling for the act.

This custom designed glass dome is built in the same manner as a Tanglewood greenhouse. There is an ornate steel structure exposed on the underside and the glass is finished with copper glazing bar caps. The top of the dome is clad with copper accented with the cast bronze finials.

Though small, a unique project such as this can put our skills to a considerable test! The architect for the home approached us with a loose concept for the glass dome he wanted and then let us develop the design.

Our design staff worked together with him to develop the dome skylight which turned out to be a true original. Of course we also had to consider how the glass dome would mount to the pergola which was to be constructed by the general contractor and to figure out how the new dome could be easily hoisted into place when it arrives on site completely assembled.

Funny enough, I just realized that the shape of this custom skylight dome is a lot like the great conservatory at Lednice which we visited in September and chronicled in my recent blog post “Steel and Glass Conservatories in the Czech Republic”. Hmmmm…

Nancy and I wish everyone a very happy holiday and New Year.

Alan

The landmark custom greenhouse conservatory in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore  is the subject of a new book. “Glass House of Dreams; Baltimore’s Victorian Glass Palace In The Park” by Margaret Haviland Stansbury and photographer David Simpson was just released by Palm House Publishing.

A book signing event was held at the conservatory on October 29th announced by a beautiful promo piece that captures the essence of the book on the greenhouse. It reads: “Glass House of Dreams celebrates the City of Baltimore’s Landmark Victorian steel and glass greenhouse palace – one of the surviving architectural treasures in the city’s historic Druid Hill Park. An extensive collection of original lithographic postcards illustrate the history of the 1888 botanical house, which is the second oldest in America.”

“Margret Haviland Stansbury the author is also founder of the non-profit Baltimore Conservatory Association, which worked with the city of Baltimore to bring this Victorian jewel back to life.”

“The original Palm House that featured 175 glass windows, many of them curved, is once again packed with exotic flora from around the world. The real excitement of this book is a portfolio of stunning new photographs by David Simpson. Simpson’s cutting edge photography not only captures the elegance of this architectural gem, but also presents us with intimate images that portray the beauty of its individual plants and flowers.”

“This book, celebrating the past, present and future of The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens was just released.”

The conservatory in Druid Hill Park is one that is not often mentioned in the portfolio’s of great glass houses of America (or the world) and I was surprised to learn that it was the second oldest in the country.

In the later part of the nineteenth century, interest in conservatories reached America from Europe. The first American great public conservatory was constructed in New York City as part of the 1853 World’s Fair.

Philadelphia began construction of one shortly thereafter in conjunction with the Centennial Exposition there. Baltimore’s Palm House was actually one of four that were originally built in the city – one in Carroll Park one in Clifton Park and one in Patterson Park. The others have been demolished over time with only the Druid Hill Park Conservatory remaining.

It is an interesting design, more vertical and chunky looking than horizontal and sleek as are others of its grand cousins. At a time when conservatory and greenhouse design in America was soon to be dominated by the American firm of Lord and Burnham Greenhouses, the Druid Park conservatory designed by young architect George Frederick, stands out from the mold that became their notable style.

The Baltimore Sun ran a great article about the conservatory.

The new book can also be ordered from Margaret (Peggy) Stansbury.

It is worth a look.

Alan

Greeting from Deutschland.

Nancy and I arrived in Germany today on our way to look at a new conservatory project. We will be in Europe for two weeks and will make special visits to see some of the great historic European conservatories in Vienna, the Czech Republic, Budapest – and any others we can find.

Our initial meeting was in the Bavarian town of Rosenheim with Mr. Franz Wurm, Director of the Wintergarten-Fachverband conservatory association of which Tanglewood Conservatories is an honorary member.

Mr. Wurm was responsible for our visit last year when Nancy and I addressed the association meeting and made a presentation of our work to the group.

While in Rosenheim, we took the opportunity to visit the nearby Herrenchiemsee castle built by Bavarian King Ludwig II. The castle sits on an island in Lake Chiemsee which can only be reached by ferryboat. It was built from 1878 to 1885 and cost the current equivalent of about $124,000,000 USD.

The castle was modeled on the Palace of Versailles due to Ludwig’s great respect for King Louis XIV of France and includes a hall of mirrors, the ceiling of which is painted with twenty-five scenes of the French King. After Ludwig’s death in 1886, construction stopped leaving fifty of the seventy rooms unfinished.
The castle was one of the locations featured in the computer game The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery, which was set in Bavaria with a storyline that involved King Ludwig.

One of the interesting features of the castle was the way it is sited when it was built and what has been done with it since. From both the front and the back, long alleys cut through the woods directly on axis with the building creating vista’s all the way to the shore of the lake. You can stand on the fronts steps of the castle and peer through the forest all the way to the lake.

The shoreline at the front opens to a man made mooring for the boats of the time and on the far lake shore, directly across the lake (and also on center axis with the palace!), some modern day planner purposely situated a new public swimming pool palace!

I thought this was entirely appropriate, even if Lugwig would not have been so amused, because, outside the castle are very formal gardens with a series of exquisite fountains and pools that were the cutting edge of the technology of the day. How appropriate that the new swimming pool enclosure building, directly on axis with the castle and its garden fountains extend the illusion of sweeping space well beyond what the original monarch, in striving to portray his expansive greatness, might have imagined. In addition to being spatially related, the castle with its water gardens, the lake and the new swimming pool park are thematically related by the water.

The new swimming pool palace is also a modern marvel of technology. It is completely transparent with an ornamental wood structure inside and encloses a large water park where bathers can revel in the warm waters as if outside, year round. How techno-edge is that, Ludwig!

Of course the great irony is that the new swimming pool palace is a public space given over to the whim and folly of the commoners! As such, it is fitting that it is on the other side of the lake in contrast to the castle which was the whim and folly of the royalty on the other side!

Alan