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

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

Among the many historic castles scattered throughout the countryside in the Czech Republic, there are two that have beautiful conservatories of historic significance and are open to the public. We visited both on our recent trip.

Near the southeast border, not far from Vienna, Austria is the town of Lednice, the best-known tourist destination in this southern area known as Moravia. This is the warmest part of the country and it is full of romantic nooks, architectural jewels and unique nature reserves.

The Neo-Gothic Chateau Lednice has an extensive park which is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a large steel, iron and glass conservatory of absolutely fantastic structural design. It was originally constructed in 1843.

The conservatory building is striking. At over 300 feet long, it is made of small, delicately shaped iron ribs spaced close enough together so that no additional structural beams are used. The pieces of glass are small and are used in the traditional method of overlapping shingles to create the curvature of the roof.

The real significance of this historic conservatory however lies in the way that the architect, an Englishman named P.H. Devian, used the panes of glass themselves as structural “shear” panels to give the overall building the required rigidity and wind resistance normally accomplished with the use of steel columns and beams. This was a scheme inspired by architect John Claudius Loudon and used in several of his glass buildings in England. It represented an audacious departure from the status quo of structural engineering design of the day.

To allow the glass itself to take on structural capabilities was a unique innovation and yielded a transparency never before obtained in a building. Even today, structural engineering dictates that the structure itself must be sufficient to support itself without relying on glass or any other “infill” material.

One of the most illustrative features of this design concept are the large arched windows that project out from the curved roof structure.

There is nothing but a small iron rib that joins the surface of the window to the surface of the main roof. The flimsy steel frame would hardly stand up in a slight wind without the help of the glass to make it rigid.

The conservatory at Lednice was also one of the first to use iron for all its parts which was much stronger and long lasting than the wood parts previously in use.

This steel and glass skylight at the entrance to the conservatory at Lednice does not have a structural member at the ridge, but relies on the stiffness of the glass itself – another example of the technical daring by the architect described above.

To the west of Lednice in the Bohemia region, is the Schwarzenberg Castle in the town of Hluboka nad Vltavou. Built in 1847 by architect Franz Beer, this beautiful conservatory also uses iron ribs for support but unlike the conservatory at Lednice, the entire structure is supported internally by steel trusses – a much different and much less innovative approach than at Lednice.

One interesting feature of the Hlubloka conservatory is the way in which cast iron ornamentation is used on the exterior façade of the building. These decorative pieces are in no way related to any structural requirements, but are solely “stuck –on” to the building to give it a certain “look”.

Unlike the conservatory at Lednice, which one could say was a very straightforward, “honest” expression of what it is made of – in that it uses it’s structure as its aesthetic – the Hluboka building turns it’s back on itself and tries to cover what it is made of and become something else.

I wonder if this is a reflection of the personalities and insight of the architects themselves – and maybe their clients. Was P.H. Devian a man who was much more comfortable with himself and his capabilities than was Franz Beer? As artists, their works must be expressions of what is inside each of them. I think this question could also be asked of architects and designers today. What does an architect or an artist’s work tell us about what is inside the person creating the works?

This stairway inside the conservatory at Hluboka is one of my favorites and the only conservatory dedicated to enclose a stairway I’ve ever seen.

Alan

Leaving Bratislava, we traveled east towards the town of Banská Štiavnica our next destination where we were to look at the site of an interesting conservatory project. Banská Štiavnica is a beautiful small town in the heart of the mining region in central Slovákia. I was told that the hills surrounding the town are an ancient volcanic crater which makes for a very picturesque setting.

On the way we stopped for dinner at Kaštieľ Čereňany where we shared one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Anyone in this region should not miss this excellent restaurant and romantic inn and in fact just by itself it is worth its own trip.

With outstanding chef and owner of Kaštieľ Čereňany.

Enjoying a private toast with friends at Kaštieľ Čereňany.

The town of Banská Štiavnica has a rich history, particularly as a center for the mining technology and education that was so important to this region. It was inscripted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, listed as the Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica and the Technical Monuments in its Vicinity.

The designation by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is intended to encourage the protection and preservation of important cultural and natural heritage sites around the world that are considered to be of outstanding value to all of humanity.

Throughout time, Banská Štiavnica was a major destination for many outstanding scientists and engineers who brought it to fame. The old mining-center was built into a major town from its medieval roots with 16th-century churches, Renaissance palaces and elegant urban squares. The surrounding hills contain important items related to its metallurgical and mining past.

This unique heritage is celebrated each year in September with a curiously wonderful festival known as Salamander Days which we were privileged to witness.

This carnival dedicated to the mining and geological tradition has become a popular event throughout Slovákia with area hotels booking up months in advance. The unique name, Salamander Days in fact refers to the culminating processional that ends the festival. A long stream of miners both young and old, dressed in historical costume and waving flags of the various mines, carry lanterns through the town at dusk led by a Chief Shepherd holding a wood lizard that symbolizes the story of the discovery of the mines. Other symbolic characters from mine dwarfs to Judges, prisoners, The Executioner, Rabbi and Death Himself parade behind.

The sight of the lights weaving back and forth through the town streets as the processional moves reminded one of a salamander and the festival was long ago so named.

We stayed in Banská Štiavnica for several days and enjoyed our host’s warm hospitality.

Alan

“The World is in equilibrium, starting with the geometry of the atom and finishing with the geometry of the universe” – Milan Dobeš

Bratislava, the picturesque, largely undiscovered capital of Slovákia, which was our next stop, was a wonderful surprise. Situated on the very western edge of the country, it is a mere 37 miles from Vienna, though it must have felt like worlds apart before the Soviets left in 1989. The beautiful Danube River flows through the city on its way to Budapest and the Black Sea, its terminus in the east.

The city was once the capital of Hungary when it was part of the Habsburg Empire between 1536 and 1783 and is now home to about half a million residents.

Only one of the four original gated tower entrances to the medieval city remain.

Aside from its radiant old world charm, we were introduced to its distinctly modern side.
Among the sites we visited was a small but exquisite modern art museum dedicated to the work of Milan Dobeš, a leading twentieth century artist who was born in Moravia and studied in Bratislava at the Academy of Fine Art and Design. On the website there is a great video of his kinetic artwork.

He is a leading figure in the field of optical and kinetic art using drawing, painting and construction as a medium. His explorations of geometrical and optical illusion, which won him international recognition in the sixties, often use motion and changing light to create an aesthetic experience in the viewer.

Nancy and Alan examine the work of Milan Dobeš up close with the museum director and a patron.

This is modern art as I love it the best and I was in absolute heaven in this museum! Many of the works reminded me of my own early artwork done when I was a design student – but this was much, much better.
The private museum is housed in a 14th century residential building near the Michael Gate in the historic centre of Bratislava and is a must see for anyone visiting the city. It was established and supported with the continuing help of a small local group of devoted art lovers. The address is: Zámočnícka 13, 811 03 Bratislava, Slovakia.
In addition to the permanent exhibition of the Milan Dobeš art, works by other international artists are also on display, both from the museum’s permanent collection and from regular traveling exhibitions. One of the things I really like about the museum is that the rooms are so small and intimate, you feel you can get right up close to the works and really see how they were made.

After visiting the museum, we were invited to attend a concert by the very well known and deservedly loved Czech rock and blues musician Vladimír Mišík and his ETC band.

Though we understood not a word of what they were singing, we were entranced by their music and I felt as if I could understand everything. This was the band that opened for the Rolling Stones at their landmark concert in Prague in 1990 just after the Berlin Wall came down. Mick Jagger specially requested that they take part in their Urban Jungle tour.

I made a cell phone video of this remarkable band that you can watch on our YouTube Channel, or you can visit his website: www.vladimirmisik.cz

Alan

Our next stop, Vienna, brought us to the Schönbrunn Palace gardens and the great Palm House conservatory there.

This truly amazing building defies description. It is one of the most exceptional examples of the creativity and energetic vitality that characterized conservatory design and glass buildings at the end of the nineteenth century. It was a time when architects were so possessed of a confidence in the new materials available to them as a result of the advances of the industrial revolution, that they experimented with and devised new methods of construction on a grand scale.

Joseph Paxton’s gigantic cast iron and glass Crystal Palace conservatory built for the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London instantly became the sensation of Europe and fanned designer’s imaginations throughout the world.

Built twenty years later in 1880, the Palm House conservatory at Schönbrunn, is every bit as radical and technologically advanced as the Kunsthaus in Graz.

The designer, court architect Franz von Sengenschmid toured glass and steel conservatories in Europe before working out the design with the structural engineer Sigmund Wagner.

Among its most unusual features is the steel structure that is on the exterior of the glass house! This is a very unusual feature, as most modern buildings begin with the assumption that the structural skeleton, whether wood or steel is placed inside the exterior “skin” of the building. The structural “skeleton” holds the building up, and the “skin” keeps it weather tight. The Schönbrunn Palm House conservatory is conceived in just the opposite way, the steel structure forming an exoskeleton for the building.

But it is the way in which the architect put the steel structure of the conservatory on the outside that is so interesting. It becomes a very overt expression, in fact, a celebration of the utility of steel as a building material. It’s almost as if the architect was so excited about the design potentials opened up by the new availability of steel, that he put the steel structure on the outside of the conservatory to show it off. It was such an expression of excitement with the possibilities of this great new material available for use in the new industrial revolution. This was radically new stuff!

Inside, steel and cast iron elements are inventively combined to form a richly layered backdrop to the verdant tropical forest.

I can barely imagine the delight and enchantment felt by anyone wandering into this room when it was built over one hundred years ago.

Another noticeable feature of this room is the way in which the conservatory architect incorporates the requirement for maintenance access into the design of the glass house.

Walkways and pivoting access stairways were not added as afterthoughts to the design but conceived as part and parcel from the start and they contribute to the overall decorative effect.

The conservatory was built between the years of 1880 and 1882 as part of the extensive gardens at the summer residence of the imperial court in Vienna at the time.

Next, we travel to Bratislava, capital of Slovákia.

Alan

Our next stop was Graz, the Austrian city which is the capital of the Styrian region in the south of the country. Graz is a lovely old city with 44,000 students at the six universities, which makes it a very lively town.

To arrive at Graz, we traveled the mountain road to the ski resort town of Obertauern high in the Austrian Alps. The town was mostly deserted but the beautiful mountains still had patches of snow covering them.

In the town of Graz, we also found an interesting contrast between old and new. On the old palace grounds, which is now a park, stood this lovely old conservatory unused and somewhat in disrepair.

A building such as this is often termed an orangery as the roof does not have glass in it. Orangeries were the original conservatory buildings, a type of structure that was used to winter citrus trees and other exotic plants (conserve them) dating back as far as Roman times. This is a particularly beautiful and well proportioned example of an orangery conservatory with the glass central atrium solidly anchored by the classically detailed masonry structures on either end.

On the other side of town is one of the most important new buildings, the Kunsthaus Graz (art museum) built in 2000 by Architects Colin Fournier and Peter Cook, who won an international competition for the design.

This building also uses glass as its external “skin”, much like a traditional conservatory, and is also used to “conserve” and display rare artwork just as the historic conservatories were used to conserve and display rare plants.

At first glance, this piece of contemporary architecture is about as far from the traditional conservatory as one could get and makes a radical statement about the value of history and the desire for modernity in the city of Graz. The building is in such stark contrast to its surroundings it could be said to turn its back on everything else in the city.

In many ways though, it perfectly echoes the historic conservatory as a building type. Many of the old conservatories were radical structures of their day (and even now) their sinuous, improbable glass facades seemingly appearing more as glass bubbles than combination of walls and roofs.

These glass conservatory buildings celebrated the new technologies of the industrial revolution just as the Kunsthaus Graz celebrates modern technology in much the same way. Its curvilinear free form not much different from the flowing glass surfaces of some of the great historic conservatories of the past.

Even the use of the building is similar.

Next, we travel to Vienna to see the great Palm House conservatory in the Schönbrunn Palace gardens and then onto Bratislava, the beautiful old-world capital of Slovákia.

Alan