“An Orangery was a feature of royal and aristocratic residences
from the 17th to the 19th century. A type of
greenhouse, with citrus trees being grown in
tubs and wintering under cover, it originated
from the Renaissance gardens of Italy, when glass-making
technology enabled sufficient expanses of clear
glass to be produced. The Orangerie at the Palace
of the Louvre, 1617, inspired imitations that
were not eclipsed until the development of the
modern greenhouse in the 1840s, which was quickly
overshadowed by the architecture in glass of
Joseph Paxton. Notable for his design of the
Crystal Palace, his "great conservatory" at
Chatsworth House was an orangery and glass house
of monumental proportions.
The orangery,
however, was not just a greenhouse but a symbol
of prestige
and wealth and a feature of the garden, in the
same way as a summerhouse, folly or "Grecian
temple". Owners would conduct their guests
there on tours of the garden to admire not only
the fruits within but the architecture without.
Often the orangery would contain fountains, grottos,
and an area in which to sit and eat.”
One of the first Orangeries was constructed in Italy
in 1555 at the University of Pisa. Soon after they became
popular in Holland and they were also soon adopted by
the British nobility.
These British versions actually came shortly after conservatories
although have been preserved better due to their construction
and being the preferred option on many stately homes,
becoming more elaborate by the 19th century as more exotic
plants and trees were being brought to England which
had to be protected from the harsh winter months.
Typically a low dwarf wall with large south facing sash
windows that could be over 3 meters high, sometimes with
curved windows. These being separated by large stone
or brick pillars. The iron or lead box gutter was concealed
from view by a parapet wall that ran around the circumference
of the Orangery above the window frames, and the north
facing wall was usually made from solid walls.
Separated from the main house,
these rooms were purely to cultivate and show off precious
plants and fruit trees – hence
the term Orangery. Due to their more complex and solid
nature they are a lot more expensive than Conservatories
but stand the test of time, and many Stately homes around
the UK have a well preserved Orangery whereas the conservatories
in the walled gardens may have been replaced a number
of times.
Today the modern Orangery is either an exact replica
of this grandiose designs or a combination of a more
light and airy conservatory with slimmer pillars and
attached to the home with a seamless connection to the
interior living space.
Franklin can replicate these traditional features using
modern materials to give a room that not only impresses
but gives value added space that often is described
as the best room in the house.
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