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

We made mention in our July post that HOMEFRONT Magazine featured one of Tanglewood’s conservatories in its summer 2011 issue. However, that is not the complete story. We would like to continue the tale and tell you a little bit more!

HOMEFRONT Magazine is published quarterly and each issue features “a sneak preview of the world’s finest in design, lifestyle and travel. Written by a team of respected experts in their chosen fields…” We are thrilled to have been chosen to have five different conservatories in this issue.

“Enamoured with Conservatories” begins with a greenhouse whose three sets of French doors open onto a stone patio set with a wicker table and chairs; the perfect setting for an early morning cup of coffee, a late morning brunch, an after dinner drink or anything in between. This large (21 feet wide, 28 feet long and nearly 20 feet high) Tanglewood conservatory is located in Florida on land that slopes towards a river. The glasshouse was added to the home as part of a major restoration of this historic property.

The next page features the poolside conservatory that graces the cover of the “Der Neue Wintergarten Ratgeber.” This bright and inviting glasshouse was created to provide the perfect place to relax or change before or after a vigorous or languorous swim in the pool or after an exercise session in the suite of exercise rooms located beneath it and connected by a spiral staircase! This Tanglewood conservatory, located in Glen Cove, New York, “beckons with the promise of a refreshing dip, an iced drink and a magnificent sunset.”

The third conservatory, located on the lakeside Riverstone estate in Foxburg, Pennsylvania, was added onto the historic mansion (built in 1828 by George M. Fox, the founder of the Quaker religion) during a major renovation in 2000. This magnificent room, over 1,000 square feet, has windows on three sides and a cupola on top that “washes the room with daylight.” Imagine, sitting in an overstuffed chair on a late fall day, watching the sunset, reflecting off the lake, mirroring the surrounding fall foliage. For more information, you may want to read Tanglewood’s founder, Alan Stein’s, blog post about the estate and its “most loved and commented on custom conservatory projects” being up for sale in January 2010.

The Minneapolis, Minnesota owners of our fourth conservatory first envisioned a sunroom in which to keep and grow their exotic plant collection, including Hibiscus and varieties of ferns. However, the room has become much more, and now is also used as an intimate gathering place for social functions.

Our fifth and final conservatory uses no artificial light even when the day is overcast. “…antique sconces make it glow like golden amber” in the evenings and on cloudy days. This  addition to a hilltop stone cottage in North Carolina was built “using panes of glass each slightly differing in width.” Imagine viewing the valley below during the transformation of seasons, from summer to fall, and fall to winter. The colors must be spectacular!

We hope you enjoyed perusing HOMEFRONT’s summer 2011 issue as much as we did and that it has given you some ideas for your upcoming conservatory, glasshouse, greenhouse, or orangery project!

When most people think of conservatories and greenhouses, they imagine lots of glass. Tanglewood Conservatories generally builds domes, skylights, lanterns and cupolas using glass, copper and other types of metals. However, we’ve come across a one-of-a-kind conservatory located in San Diego, California that we just had to write about. Known as the Balboa Park Botanical Building, this conservatory is thought to be the world’s only conservatory built entirely of wood lath and is one of the world’s largest lath structures.

Photo Courtesy of A. Jerabek

This historic greenhouse was built beginning in August 1913 in preparation for the First World’s Fair: The 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition that was scheduled to begin on January 1, 1915. Interestingly, the idea for the lath conservatory was based on a dream that the founder and president of the San Diego Floral Society, Alfred D. Robinson, had one night while sleeping.

By July 1914, the San Diego Sun newspaper reported that the Botanical Building was complete. The wood lath building measured 250 feet long, 75 feet wide and 60 feet tall, almost certainly qualifying it for historical significance as the largest in the world. Five arches formed the entrance with the left and right arches crowned by octagonal shaped Persian-style domes. At the top, the middle section of the Botanical Building has an arch that encloses straight vertical laths. A dome tops the arch, which itself is crowned by an open cupola. 70,000 feet of redwood is held together and supported by steel trusses.

Photo Courtesy of A. Jerabek

In the almost 100 years since the building was erected, the San Diego Botanical Building has continuously been a popular San Diego tourist and resident destination. In fact, even perpetual problems, such as termites, rust, mildew, and even pigeons, have not lessened its appeal to San Diegans. In 2002, renovations to the wood lath conservatory cost at least ten times the original 1915 cost and eight times the 1957-59 renovations cost! The 2,100 permanent plants on display and the just-for-kids area that features a “Carnivorous Plant Bog, with Pitcher Plants and Venus Fly Traps,” and “Touch and Smell Gardens” that have unusual varieties of plants that feature special aromas such as chocolate and lemon mint, continue to draw visitors from around the state of California, the U.S. and even the world.

To learn more in-depth information on the construction of the wood lath conservatory, its architects and others instrumental in getting it built, please visit the “Our Heritage” section.

The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore. Additional picture gallery.

The Baltimore Sun ran an interesting article by Dennis Hockman on Saturday. In addition to being a columnist for the Sun, Dennis is editor of Chesapeake Home + Living Magazine. His article was about the beautiful historic conservatory in Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park and how it was the inspiration for one of Tanglewood’s most popular custom greenhouse designs.

Dennis correctly notes that I visited the Druid Hill Park Conservatory many times when thinking about the design for this particular Tanglewood client. I was searching for an understanding of how to translate the historic conservatory’s gossamer transparency into a modern day construction – one that would adhere to the much more stringent structural requirements that are part of today’s building codes.

The unique aspect of the new conservatory greenhouse design that came for the older structure is the industrial inspired lightweight steel trusses. Their use gave the Tanglewood design team the ability to minimize the usual posts and beams that would be needed to hold up the building and along with the sensual curving glass roof, would make the new building as ethereal as it’s nineteenth century counterpart.

The conservatory in Druid Hill Park is the only remaining of four original grand public conservatories in Baltimore and is a fine example of the American style of engineering these great glass buildings that was begun in Europe in the mid nineteenth century. To have had four of these unique steel and iron conservatory greenhouse buildings built in Baltimore at the time was evidence of the importance of Baltimore as a major American port city and cultural center.

The remaining structure underwent an extensive renovation which began in 1999 and the magnificent building reopened to the public in 2004. It includes displays of Mediterranean, tropical, and desert specimens.

As an architect and designer, one of the most fascinating aspects of my business (and most challenging), is our work to capture the same blend of unique technology and artful composition that characterizes the great conservatories of a hundred years ago. It is one of my professional passions to study the “spirit of inventive genius” that prevailed at the time of the industrial revolution in Europe and led to the development of the building techniques that made the great glass houses of that time possible.

We have devoted a section of the Tanglewood website to cataloging these grand buildings and we use them as inspiration, not mere copies, for many of our unique custom conservatory and greenhouse designs.
The conservatory in Druid Hill Park, formally recognized as the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory, offers us a unique opportunity to see the creative spirit of these great building up close, in our own neighborhood and Tanglewood supports the staff’s efforts to bring a higher level of attention to this local treasure.

However, as Sheila Johnson, Volunteer Coordinator reminds us: “Sadly, the Conservatory is once again facing a financial crisis as the City of Baltimore struggles to balance its budget. Nevertheless, a small but dedicated group of staff and volunteers continues to expand programming to reach out to more people with diverse interests, and to teach environmental, social, and cultural lessons. New classes include Yoga, T’ai Chi, and Plants & People Sunday educational programming. The 3rd annual Art Under Glass show will be held this spring, and a Summer Concert Series will be featured this summer. Students from schools in Baltimore City and surrounding counties visit for tours and planting activities that comply with the State of Maryland’s science curriculum. The Conservatory is a popular venue for weddings and other social functions.”

“Despite many challenges, the Conservatory continues to fulfill its mission to foster an appreciation and understanding of plants from around the world and the vital roles they play in our lives.”
Take the time to stop by and marvel at this wonder of steel, glass and light and the verdant cornucopia of vegetation on display.

As Dennis Hockman remarks: “What has remained constant over the centuries, is the whimsical, magical limbo conservatories have the power to create. A segue to the landscape, an open ceiling to the sky, conservatories seem neither in-doors or out.”

Alan

The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory is located at 3100 Swan Dr. in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore, MD 21217 close by to the Baltimore Zoo. It is open Wednesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., closed Mondays & Tuesdays. You can reach them at: (410) 396-0008 or visit their website.

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

Here are some pictures of the interior structural steel for a new greenhouse project we are working on.

This project features both a fully functional greenhouse as well as a conservatory. The greenhouse will be used to grow all manner of flora while the attached conservatory will be devoted to their display.

The exposed steel structure is a typical feature of larger scale greenhouses, its robust character and construction often celebrated as it was in the old train station architecture. Here, the structure is used to support a much lighter weight “skin” consisting of wood windows and glass panels which gives the greenhouse an airy transparency both in reality and effect.

The steel columns and beams are fabricated with a decorative patterning which adds interesting detail and contributes to lightening the overall effect.

I will continue to post progress pictures on this very unique project – one of the most unusual greenhouses and conservatories Tanglewood has ever designed.

Many people ask the question: What is the difference between a conservatory and a greenhouse? Quite simply, no matter what the architectural style or construction materials, a greenhouse is intended for plants while a conservatory is intended for people.

Not that a beautiful greenhouse, especially a beautiful, romantic antique greenhouse or soaring glass-roofed palm house, such as the one above is designed to be, doesn’t invite one inside to bask in the rarity and quietude of its magnificent tropical setting.

Most of the custom greenhouses Tanglewood has designed and built have been used extensively for both planting and people. A beautiful greenhouse filled with exotic specimens, as was also done in years past, make great party rooms. In Victorian times, the romanticism of the conservatory greenhouse was in striking contract to the formality of everyday life. Images abound of delightful pursuits inside the conservatory.

Many a Tanglewood greenhouse began with an idea for a mere potting shed or cultivation house, then grew and flourished to become a magnificent botanical greenhouse. A singular sanctuary for its owners to retreat to or entertain in as suits their pleasure.

Many greenhouses have specialized mechanical systems to facilitate the horticulture. Whether it be a misting system, specialized lighting, heating or sun shading, each unique greenhouse project requires something special – the same as all our projects.

Alan