Orangery vs Conservatory: Difference and Comparison

While the process of home extension, a new building or room is added to an existing group of buildings or a single building.

Nowadays, homeowners meet individual needs by mixing features from both to make a specific design. Still, there are many differences to clear up the confusion. 

Key Takeaways

1. Orangeries were originally designed to house and protect citrus trees, whereas conservatories were built as extensions of living spaces.
2. Orangeries have a more solid structure, with brick or stone walls and large windows, while conservatories are primarily glass.
3. Orangeries have a flat roof with a central glass lantern, while conservatories have a fully or partially glazed pitched roof.

Orangery vs Conservatory 

An Orangery is a room or building specially designed as a greenhouse for the growth of oranges, and it is squared, either square or rectangle shaped, and half of it is made up of glass. A Conservatory is a building or a room with glass walls, and it is primarily used as a greenhouse or a sun room.

An orangery is a garden building that is mainly designed for the wintering of exotic trees and shrubs. A practical building that can be completely covered by sacking and heating and planks in the cold season by stoves were the earliest orangeries.

A place to grow is referred to as Conservatory. It is one of those class greenhouses where delicate and rare plants thrive. It is crafted of eco-friendly materials like sustainable aluminum or mahogany.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Orangery	Conservatory
Interpretation	A greenhouse in a cool climate to grow oranges	A greenhouse for displaying and growing plants
Origin	17th century	18th century
Roof glazed	Less than 75% of glass	More than 75% of glass
Wall glazed	Less than 50% of glass	More than 50% of glass
Shape	Square or rectangle	Rectangle, P or T shaped

What is Orangery? 

An Orangerie, or simply orangery, was a dedicated room or a building on the grounds of fashionable residences. The period is of the 17th to 19th centuries, during which orange and other fruit trees were protected during the winter.

A century after the usage for lime and orange trees had been established, other varieties of tender plants, exotic shrubs, and plants also came in the orangery to be housed.

The imported citrus fruit like pineapples and other tender fruit became much cheaper and available. But orangeries were commonly used for more tender ornamental plants. I

The orangery was not just a greenhouse but also a symbol of wealth and prestige and a garden feature. Often it would contain grottos, fountains, and an area to entertain in inclement weather.

What is Conservatory? 

A conservatory is a room or building with tarpaulin or glass walls and roofing and is used as a sunroom or a greenhouse. 

The citrus fruits commonly appear on dinner tables which traders brought belonged from the Mediterranean’s warmer region.  

In the early nineteenth century, the municipal conservatory was popular and, by the end of the century, became popular for social use.  

Modern conservatories are also graced with a traditional finial and cresting along with a double, single patio or bi-folding doors. 

Main Differences Between Orangery and Conservatory  

1. An orangery is built against the side of the house with a door or window into the house, whereas a conservatory is built against the main house wall and separated by a closing window or door. 
2. The orangery has a roof lantern compared to a fully glazed rooftop. But the conservatory has a fully glazed roof to let in the natural light in the maximum amount. 

References

1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01445170.1983.10412431
2. https://asa.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1121/1.2151799

Last Updated : 13 July, 2023