Como Park Conservatory
The restoration of Como Park Conservatory involved restoring the original glass dome and updating and rehabilitating each of the four gardens. The project also required designing new growing houses, and creating a handicapped accessible route through the sunken garden.
Como Park Conservatory
The restoration of Como Park Conservatory involved restoring the original glass dome and updating and rehabilitating each of the four gardens. The project also required designing new growing houses, and creating a handicapped accessible route through the sunken garden.
Much of the glass roof was broken or had been replaced with plastic that had yellowed and become brittle over time. The steel structure was rusting as well. New insulating glass was custom made to match the roof’s curvature. The steel structure was thoroughly cleaned and coated with epoxy. An accessible pathway with wide corridors, gentle stairs, and lifts between levels was created from the original flagstone flooring. All mechanical and electrical systems were completely updated and concealed wherever possible. Two original sculptures by Harriet Frishmuth were recovered from storage and installed in prominent positions — one in the sunken garden, the other in a newly-designed fountain in the palm dome.
See more about how this project fit’s into Shelter’s larger firm history here.
Completed
1993
Team
Shelter
Accolades
AIA-MN Honor Award 1993, Jewel of Como
Photographer
