As devotees and designers, our love of conservatories
begins with a commitment to tradition and
keen attention to detail. Our company founders
are artists and architects, and our production
teams are master craftspeople carrying on
a 300-year-old tradition of artisan woodworking.
T
his conservatory was designed to accommodate
a retail shop in Manhattan specializing in stone garden
ornaments, fountains, basins and pools. The owner
wanted a Georgian conservatory structure for his office
and a small showroom to display objects d'art. He approached
Tanglewood with rudimentary drawings in hand and his vision
of a beautiful glass and wood structure.
After several visits together and much discussion about details
such as the dentil moulding, true "raised-panel" basewalls and
accurately proportioned window muntions, the design was finalized.
It was to be a wood framed conservatory structure with side hung,
casement-style windows and a projecting central bay with a pediment
above the French doors.
Much of the charm of conservatories stems from their classic lines and
prime materials- wood and glass- but their amazing versatility is a
result of innovative design and ambitious use of technology.
A full glass roof was used to maximize the opportunity for daylight
at street level and indeed, no artificial lighting is required inside the
conservatory- even on overcast days.
Meanwhile, the roof system
was clad with pre-finished aluminum extrusions to protect the woodwork
from the effects of the city and provide for a completely
maintenance-free finish.
This traditional design of the Georgian conservatory uses no gutters.
Rainwater is allowed to fall
freely from the roof and be absorbed by a bed of gravel at the
perimeter of the structure.
With its stately fluted pilasters and Palladian gable pediment,
the traditional design was exactly what the owner had hoped for.
The intricately detailed, white-painted structure is set amidst a grassy
oasis and framed by the brick buildings beyond. Alongside is a large
granite pond with a sculpted bronze fountain.
The corner location in mid-town is dwarfed by the surrounding
buildings yet the conservatory holds it own against the surrounding city.
