Nation’s oldest and largest Victorian glass house

History

• Phipps Conservatory was a gift to the city of Pittsburgh by Henry Phipps.

• Phipps wanted to “erect something that will prove a source of instructions as well as pleasure to the people”

• Construction took one year and cost $110,000

History

• Lord and Burnham of Irvington –on-the-Hudson, a prestigious New York greenhouse firm, designed Phipps conservatory.

• Due to city’s shortage of funds the conservatory was signed over to Phipps Conservatory, Inc. on a 100 year lease in July 1993

History

• It’s spectacular display houses feature “silvered” domes and glass vaults and an elaborate Richard Romanesque stone entrance.

History

• When the conservatory opened in December 7, 1893 it was the largest conservatory in the United States.

• It also had one of the finest collections of tropical plants acquired from the Columbian exposition in Chicago

Present building use

• Operated by Phipps Conservatory, Inc. • Under this new management Phipps has

added educational programming to display as a primary focus of operations.

Present Building Use

• Stove Room• Orchid Room• South Conservatory• Fruit and Spice Room• Gallery

• Lobby/Gift Shop• Palm Court• Sunken Garden• Victoria Room• Parterre De Broderie• East Room• Dessert Room• Serpentine Room• Fern Room

Present Building Use• Botany Hall available for

classes, meetings, presentations and lectures

• Newly renovated facility includes full handicap accessibility

• First floor is a lecture hall, recently re-named the Joan Kilner Hunt Auditorium, to accommodate approximately 110 people

• Equipped with auditorium seating and audio-video capabilities

Present Building Use

• Phipps also has space available for rent through out the year.

• For:– Weddings– Bridal showers– Receptions– Workplace meetings– Holiday parties

Map of Phipps Conservatory

Organizational LayoutSpaces linked by a common space

• The palm court is the dominate room in the conservatory organizing the various display rooms

Organizational LayoutAdjacent Spaces

• Adjacency is the most common type of relationship• Spaces clearly defined to show specific functions• Limits visual and physical access between adjacent

spaces, reinforcing individuality of each space, and accommodates there differences

•All three branches off the palm court follows this type of organization

OrganizationLinear/Centralized Organization

• Centralized – central dominate space about which a number of secondary spaces are grouped

• Linear – branches

off central space

are arranged in

linear sequence of

repetitive spaces

CirculationApproach

• Frontal Approach leading directly to entrance

CirculationEntrance

• Flush entrance maintains continuity of the wall surface

• Elaborate Richardson Romanesque stone

• Appearance is similar to the domes used throughout the structure

• Placed in the center of frontal plane adding to the symmetry of the building

CirculationLinear Path Flow

Pass Through Spaces

Proportion and Scale

Ordering PrinciplesSymmetry

• Bilateral Symmetry – split with medium axis into two essentially identical halves

• Local symmetry allowing building to respond to exceptional conditions of its site

Ordering PrinciplesHierarchy

Size/Placement

• The size of the Palm Court dominates the conservatory with its significantly larger size and height from other parts of the conservatory

• Center piece is symmetrical organization

Ordering PrinciplesHierarchy

ShapeDome on west and east end

• Differentiation of dome makes it visually dominate

Site Related AspectParking Facilities

• Parking is available free of charge in the center island in front of the conservatory

• Metered parking is also located in the front of the conservatory

http://www.360pittsburgh.com/loresjava/phipps.asp

Site Related Aspect

• Seven outdoor gardens

Site-Related

• Various walkways