Overview
Address
4600 Cambie St, Vancouver BC
Neighbourhood
Riley Park
type
Institutional
Description
The Bloedel Conservatory was named for donor, forestry executive Prentice Bloedel. Built in 1969, it was designed by Underwood, McKinley, Cameron, Wilson & Smith. It is a triodetic dome, 140 feet in diameter, assembled from aluminum pipe triangles and 1,500 Plexiglass bubbles. The same architects designed the nearby Seasons in the Park restaurant (1973).
The conservatory is located on the highest point in Vancouver, a volcanic outcropping known as Little Mountain, which appears in local First Nations history. The conservatory sites on top of the site of two reservoirs dug in 1911.
The conservatory, the Henry Moore sculpture “Knife Edge” (1962-65), the fountain and the surrounding plaza were all sited to work together with a specific goal to represent man’s interdependence with nature.
Source
VHF's Places that Matter Plaque Project, Exploring Vancouver, The Architectural Guide. Harold Kalman and Robin Ward, The First Hundred Years, R. Mike Steele, Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation,1988 Vancouver The Way It Was by Michael Kluckner
More information
Map
Contact
Please Share Your Stories!
Send us your stories, comments or corrections about this site.