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.ย
Key Takeaways
- Orangeries were originally designed to house and protect citrus trees, whereas conservatories were built as extensions of living spaces.
- Orangeries have a more solid structure, with brick or stone walls and large windows, while conservatories are primarily glass.
- Orangeries generally have a flat roof with a central glass lantern, while conservatories have a fully or partially glazed pitched roof.
Orangery vs Conservatoryย
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 generally 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?ย
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 generally 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?ย
A conservatory is a room or building with tarpaulin or glass walls and roofing and is generally used as a sunroom or a greenhouse.ย
The citrus fruits commonly appear on dinner tables which traders brought belonged from the Mediterraneanโs warmer region.ย ย
In the early nineteenth century, the municipal conservatory was popular and, by the end of the century, became popular for social use.ย ย
Modern conservatories are also graced with a traditional finial and cresting along with a double, single patio or bi-folding doors.ย

Main Differences Between Orangery and Conservatoryย ย
- 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.ย
- 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.ย

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

Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.