Fit for the Pharaohs

摘要

Looking at the newly glazed Muttart Conservatory one cannot help but draw a comparison to the great pyramids of Egypt. Not just in appearance, but its uniqueness in both size and complexity. But while the ancient Egyptians used their pyramids to bury their mummified Pharaohs, the four glass pavilions in Edmonton, Alberta, harbour life in the form of a botanical garden. Originally commissioned in 1975, the Muttart Conservatory is a complex climate-controlled show pavilion that features 700 species of plants in arid, tropical and temperate climates used for concerts, weddings and other community events. The building was suffering from a tremendous amount of heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter, and needed a major glass retrofit.