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In 2010, Longwood Gardens commissioned a masterplan that would establish a framework for Longwood’s evolution and create a clarified and enhanced visitor experience. The new crystalline West Conservatory replaces a parking lot and complex of outdated production greenhouses, visually and spatially extending the legacy of the beaux-art Orangerie Conservatory into the bucolic landscape beyond. The new glass house and its surrounding horticultural experiences create an interactive new journey, a sequence that ranges from intimate to grand, exterior to interior. This transformation reshapes the western grounds into a cultural campus that brings Longwood into a new century and provides meaningful encounters between humans and the botanical world.
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The West Conservatory sits atop a topographically dramatic ridge and hovers over a rectangular pool of water. The Conservatory’s crystalline silhouette, doubled by its reflection in the water, formally reflects the nearby historic conservatory and amplifies the surrounding landscape’s impact. Inside, a unique garden under glass evokes the climate of the Mediterranean. The pleated and undulating glass roof reconciles the legacy of the Lord & Burnham production greenhouses, while the frame of the building’s pleated roof, tapered perspectives, and branching columns echo the silhouettes of trees overlooking the western edge of the campus. With its convergence of old and new, beaux arts and bucolic, the West Conservatory extends Longwood’s marriage of architecture and horticulture.
The main level of the West Conservatory relies on hundreds of automated window vents to bring in fresh air and flush out heat buildup. 10 earth ducts, which are 300-foot long, three-foot diameter tubes, provide year-round passive tempering of fresh air. As fresh air is drawn through the earth ducts, it is warmed or cooled by the earth depending on the season. The earth-tempered air is introduced to the space at the pedestrian pathway to provide passive thermal comfort for occupants and visitors. This innovative design creates a living, breathing building: an increase in the effectiveness of natural ventilation and elimination of dependence on mechanical cooling in hot weather. Further measures include a geothermal system, storm water management, solar shades and thermal blankets.
In keeping with Longwood’s tradition of blending fountain gardens and horticultural display, the centerpiece and largest single element of Longwood Reimagined is a new 32,000-square-foot glasshouse, designed by WEISS/MANFREDI. Inside is an immersive Mediterranean Garden featuring planted islands, pools, canals, and low fountains, designed by Reed Hilderbrand. The new West Conservatory with its asymmetrical, crystalline peaks appears to float on a pool of water, while inside, a unique garden under glass evokes the character of the Mediterranean, where both wild landscapes and cultivated gardens express an inseparable relationship between water, stone, and plants. The architects are inspired by the sense of discovery and innovation that defines Longwood Gardens, envisioning this transformation of 17 acres as a cinematic journey, a sequence of experiences that range from intimate to grand, reshaping the western grounds into a cultural campus that brings Longwood into a new century. With the West Conservatory as the centerpiece of this newly conceived crystalline ridge, the pleated roof, branching columns, and tapered perspectives extend the marriage of architecture and horticulture that is intrinsic to Longwood's identity.
“This project honors our legacy by embracing innovations and sustainability practices that define 21st century garden artistry. We’re excited to invite our guests to experience the newest addition to our collection of world-class gardens with the unparalleled beauty and creativity that WEISS/MANFREDI and Reed Hilderbrand have brought to life through this transformational journey.” Paul Redman, President and CEO of Longwood Gardens
WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism is a New York City-based multidisciplinary practice known for the dynamic integration of architecture, art, infrastructure, and landscape. Founded by Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi, the firm has been recognized with the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Architecture, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal, the New York Center for Architecture President’s Award, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Architecture, the Architectural League of New York’s "Emerging Voices" Award, the Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal, the New York AIA Gold Medal, and the 2024 Louis I. Kahn Award. WEISS/MANFREDI has been featured in exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the National Building Museum, the São Paulo Biennale of Architecture and Design, the Design Center in Essen, Germany, the Louvre, and the Venice Architecture Biennale.
