A History of the Conservatory
Throughout history, many civilizations have created small enclosures for
preserving plants. Archeological evidence has shown the ancient Chinese,
Egyptians, Greek, Japanese and Romans all made use of these structures
for living preservation. It
was the Romans who originally coined the phrase
“conservato” – meaning “stored
or preserved” – to describe the structures
used to preserve their precious and exotic plants. When combined with the
Latin “ory” – meaning “a place for” – we have the modern term “conservatory”
– a place for storing and preserving.
Over the years, the Roman conservatories began to grow in favor with European nations. While the Dutch were quick to adapt the concept of the Roman conservatory, it was the English that truly revived the art of conserving plants under glass. The English “orangeries”, as they were called, were constructed predominantly of stone or brick and usually featured
several large windows with one or two skylights. Orangeries in Europe remained the indulgence of the aristocracy
until the early nineteenth century when advancements in engineering,
construction materials and the Victorian vision
of improvement for the masses gave rise to enormous
public
conservatories and in-door gardens.
As the public’s love for the grand public gardens and conservatories grew, use of the conservatory transitioned from public splendor
to private enjoyment. Many conservatory owners continued to use their conservatories for indoor exotic gardens and to display their
collections of rare plants. Other conservatory owners turned to what we know today as the conservatory way of life – a truly elegant, peaceful
outdoor living experience.
Conservatory popularity faded and virtually disappeared as the nineteenth century came to a close. The war years followed by the great
depression in the early twentieth century left the populous with very little free time and even less money for indulgence. As such, new
conservatory construction ground to a halt and existing structures were left to the elements and fell into disrepair or were completely removed
from the landscape.
A culture straining to leave war and depression behind looked to new modernist architecture of sheer concrete, glass and steel; devoid
of the fanciful Victorian details they once cherished.
Conservatories would not return to the mainstream until the 1970’s when popular culture sought a “return to nature”. This opened a door for the
“studio style” conservatory whose sleek modern lines of steel and glass melded well with the new modernist architectural style. The onset of
postmodernism harkened the return of the beauty and elegance of the “old-world” conservatory in all it’s splendor. A return to the fanciful and
ornate Victorian style helped to expand the concept of conservatory design to other styles such as the Georgian style of architecture once popular
in England in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s.
an instant escape to elegance, luxury and comfort… the conservatory way of life.
