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In the course of our daily reporting, we often uncover unusual projects, places, or connections that don't make the final cut. Instead of keeping it to ourselves, we're pleased to share our Architrivia.
Befitting of its space age architecture, the Bloedel Floral Conservatory is perched atop Little Mountain in Queen Elizabeth Park, the geographic centre of Vancouver. Its dome-shaped profile and mosaic of triangular plexiglass bubbles are hallmarks of its futuristic appeal, while functionally, the building serves as an excellent host for a variety of tropical plants and birds.
The Conservatory harkens back to Vancouver's horticultural traditions, where its many parks had doubled as depositories for the educational display of exotic plant and animal life. Similar to the patriotic excitement surrounding the Canada 150 celebrations, communities across Canada were actively engaged in multiple Centennial projects designed to commemorate the country's 100th anniversary. With the goal of creating a long-lasting icon for the city, Superintendent of the Vancouver Park Board Stuart Lefeaux and his Deputy Bill Livingstone envisioned a family-friendly conservatory.
Prentice Bloedel of the Macmillan Bloedel Lumber Company was approached by Lefeux and Livingstone, who secured a $1.25 million contribution from the magnanimous visionary. The post-war expansion of resource extraction industries had spurred a charitable spirit in many leading businessmen, whose names would be plastered over cultural facilities. At the time, it was the largest gift Vancouver had received. Additional funds from the City and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation would ensure the building and its surrounding fountains and plaza would be completed. Despite conflicts with the adjacent concrete water reservoirs, the building opened to great fanfare on December 6, 1969.
The translucent geodesic structure that caps the facility defined the popular architectural imagery of the time, with Buckminster Fuller's Expo '67 dome in Montreal also turning heads for its size and geometry. The skeletal appearance of the building evokes the classic metal and glass exposition structures that served as horticultural theatres during the 18th and 19th centuries.
A system of air circulating units and mist sprayers regulate temperature and humidity for three separate climatic zones inside the dome. On the outside, the property is adorned with Henry Moore's Knife Edge Two Piece 1962-65, which was also donated by Prentice Bloedel and his wife Virginia. Castings of the work were authorized for placement in Nelson Rockefeller's New York estate and the grounds of the House of Lords in London. The property's sculpted landscape has become a popular spot for shutterbugs to capture gardens and panoramic views of the city.
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