< PreviousB uildings are rooted in a simple function – providing shelter – and conservatories do just that. Originally built as windowed wood structures designed to protect delicate greenery from European winters in the 17th century, conservatories have blossomed into works of art in their own right, thanks to a combination of impressive engineering feats and innovative architectural design. In the new book The Conservatory: Gardens Under Glass (Princeton Architectural Press, $60), authors Alan Stein and Nancy Virts examine the development of conservatories from their humble roots to their global expansion as awe-inspiring glass palaces to the avant-garde structures crafted by top architects today. Highlights include the Palm House at Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, in London – it’s the pinnacle of Victorian-era conservatories in England, which kick- started a glass palace boom across Europe. Earlier examples include masonry precursors to glass-and-metal structures such as the orangery at the baroque palace Zwinger in Dresden, Germany. Built in 1709 under the rule of Frederick Augustus the Strong, it was inspired by the orangery at Versailles and is arguably even more awe-inspiring. – STEFANIE WALDEK Under Cover 122 - L AST WOR D - P HOTO S: C A R OL M. HIGHSMI T H A R CHI V E ( L IB R A RY OF C ONGRES S ); A L A N S T EI N FROM TOP: The Winter House at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina; Schö nbrunn Palace Park conservatory in Vienna; the Main Conservatory at Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania; The orangery at Zwinger palace in Dresden, Germany. AD_036_122_Last Word_11446444.indd 12213/12/2020 12:06:58 PMArchitectonics. In perfection. The cube. Taken to a new level by AXOR Edge. An asymmetrical arrangement of rectangular prisms, crafted with ultra-precision. Cube by cube. Transcending aesthetic and technical boundaries. Cut with diamond, for edges and surgaces that verge on perfection. Enhanced with surface structures that create fascinating contrasts. On request, individualized with exclusive finishes. A testimony to the discerning taste of its owner. Design: Jean-Marie Massaud AX OR EDGE Contact us at sales.mea@hansgrohe.com For more info visit us at axor-design.comCALIBER RM 72-01 RICHARD MILLE BOUTIQUE DUBAI | ABU DHABI | RIYADH | KUWAIT | ISTANBUL | MOSCOW www.richardmille.comNext >