Adding a conservatory can have a big impact on your home,from extra space to relax or entertain, to even increasing the value of yourproperty. Conservatories, also known as glass or greenhouses, have been aroundfor hundreds of years and many elaborate structures were built to house plants,citrus trees or simply to display an owner’s wealth and status.
Often found in botanical gardens, there are many beautifulconservatories around the world that are stunning pieces of architecture intheir own right. If you want to know more about some of the most amazingconservatories across the globe, see our roundup below.
Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, New York
A major attraction of the New York Botanical Gardens in theBronx, this conservatory opened in 1902, and was inspired by Victorian andItalain Renaissance architectural styles. It houses many of the garden’simpressive collection of plants, including tropical water lilies, cacti,carnivorous plants and much more. It’s the largest Victorian glasshouse in theUnited States and includes a spectacular 90 foot roof dome.
Kew Gardens Conservatories, London
London’s famous Kew Gardens are home to over 30,000different species of plant, as well as three spectacular conservatories. The1840s built Palm House focuses on housing tropical foliage, and the gardensalso boast the largest Victorian-era glasshouse in the world, Temperate House.There’s also the 1980s built Princess of Wales Conservatory to enjoy, whichfeatures 10 individually controlled micro climates.
Brisbane Tropical Display Dome, Australia
This large glass lattice structure was opened in 1977 at theBrisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha. Home to a variety of tropical plantspecies, the climate controlled dome allows the plants to thrive, and protectsthem from natural environmental threats in the outside world. The dome alsoincludes a large circular pond, native fish and various tropical food plants.
Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco
This conservatory is more unusual due to its durable woodenframe (most are made from metal), and it is one of the oldest woodenconservatories around today. It has been damaged by fires, storms and a boilerexplosion since it opened in 1878, but it remains standing, thanks in part to amajor restoration project in 2003. Situated in the Golden Gate Park, theconservatory houses a variety of rare plants, tropical exhibits and an aquaticgarden.
Eden Project, Cornwall
These two huge biodomes might not look like your averagegarden extension, but they can still be classed as conservatories despite usingthermoplastic instead of glass. The Rainforest Biodome includes a canopy walkand tropical plants from all over the world, while the Mediterranean Biodomehas plants and vineyards from Australia, California and its namesake area.
You might not beplanning anything as ambitious as the structures above, but if you’re lookingfor conservatories in Chesterfield, get in touch with Grassmoor Glass Ltd. Weoffer a range of custom built styles, including Victorian, Edwardian and Gableconservatories, so
give us a call to discuss your requirements, or
see more of our work on the website.
