|
|
|
Orangery
|
|
|
|
Orangeries used to be larger, more ornate conservatories for keeping tender plant
varieties, and Orange trees were the main intended plant for propagation; this is
where the name Orangeries and Orangery originated. Following the use for Orange
and Lime trees, the varieties of plants, shrubs and exotic plants that were housed
became very extensive, mainly due to the wealthy, who could afford to travel and
bring back samples of these delicate plants and be able to pay for their upkeep
in the cold winters of England and northern Europe. This soon created a situation
where Orangeries became symbols of status among the wealthy.
|
|
We have found that, as early as 1545, an Orangery was built in Padua, Italy. These
first Orangeries were not as well thought out or as ornate as our modern versions;
most had no heating and, on very cold nights, had to have open fires made up to
keep them warm.
|
|
The building of Orangeries became fashionable after the end of the Eighty Years
War in 1648, the countries that started the trend being France, Germany and the
Netherlands. These were the countries that saw merchants start importing large numbers
of orange trees, banana plants and pomegranates to cultivate for their beauty and
scent.
|
|
The need to build Orangeries came from two areas; the need to house such delicate
plants and the image status of the wealthy. Both, however, were restricted in their
choice of materials available for the task. If they were south facing, they were
constructed with brick or stone bases, brick or stone pillars with a corbelled gutter
arrangement and mainly had large tall windows to benefit from the warm sunlight
in the afternoons. If they were north facing, then they were constructed with very
heavy, solid walls and much smaller windows to be able to keep the rooms warm. Insulation
at these times was one of the biggest concerns in the building of these Orangeries,
straw becoming the main material used, and many also had wooden shutters fitted
to keep in the warmth.
|
|
The first examples were basic and built using the garden wall as the main wall of
the new Orangery but, as Orangeries became more and more popular, they started to
become more and more influenced by Garden Designers and Architects, which led to
the connection between house architecture and Orangery design. They also became
further influenced by the increased demand for beautiful exotic plants in the garden,
which could be grown and looked after in the Orangeries, so creating more requirements
in garden design for the wealthy to have their own exotic private gardens, further
fuelling the status of the Orangery which was becoming even more the symbol of the
elite. This, in turn, created the need for Orangeries to be constructed using even
better techniques, such as under floor heating and the ability to have opening widows
in the roofs for ventilation, creating microclimates for the propagation of more
and more exotic plants for the private gardens that were becoming creations of beauty
all around Europe.
|
|
With the development of modern materials in the insulation and glazing industries,
it is now possible to construct Orangeries with the beauty of ornate Garden Designs
and Architectural influences, more in keeping with modern design and today’s use
requirements. Orangeries are now constructed for more and more people who wish for
something more than an extension or a Conservatory and want all year round additional
space to their homes. They add one of the most luxurious and beautiful rooms that
are possible to be built today.
|
|
Your Orangery would be built to the same exacting standards as our conservatories.
Providing you with the opportunity to unwind in the elite finery of a by gone era.
|
|