Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Tropical Forest Addition in Pittsburgh, United States

January 17, 2011 Category: Parks, Urban Design

Located in Pittsburgh, United States, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Tropical Forest Addition was designed by IKM of Pittsburgh, the team wanted the 12,000-square-foot expansion to balance between the latest advances in eco-technology and exquisite horticulture in a dramatic, new glass house. The design captures the sun’s path as it travels across the site overlooking the south-facing plaza and the lower boundaries of Schenley Park, in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh.

Reaching 60 feet in height, the horticultural display takes visitors to the tropics with a strong aroma of jasmine, cascading waterfalls, streams, pools, a Healer’s Hut and hidden grottos. A walkway that projects into the forest canopy provides panoramic views over the conservatory below and to the local landscape beyond the glass walls. In the ground-level Palm Circle as many as 40 visitors can gather for presentations and programs about how building uses both ancient and modern horticultural methods.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Tropical Forest Addition design Exterior 1