Bloedel Floral Conservatory facts for kids
The Bloedel Floral Conservatory
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| Date opened | 1969 |
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| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Coordinates | 49°14′32″N 123°06′50″W / 49.2421°N 123.1138°W |
| No. of animals | 100 birds |
| No. of species | 500 plant species |
| Website | http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/bloedel-conservatory.aspx |
The Bloedel Floral Conservatory is a special indoor garden and bird home in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It sits right at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park. This amazing dome is filled with plants and birds from all over the world! It's a great place to learn about different plants and see colorful birds flying freely.
Contents
Discovering the Bloedel Conservatory's Story
How the Idea Began
Back in 1966, Canada was getting ready to celebrate its 100th birthday! Communities across the country were encouraged to start special projects. In Vancouver, two park leaders, Stuart Lefeaux and Bill Livingstone, had a big idea.
They wanted to build an exciting new landmark for the city. Their dream was to create a conservatory for exotic plants. It would be a fun and educational place for families to visit.
Building a Dream Dome
Building the conservatory on top of Queen Elizabeth Park was a bit tricky. The city had already leased the mountain top for a large water reservoir. This reservoir held the city's drinking water.
A concrete lid was built over the reservoir in 1965. The conservatory and its plaza needed to be built on top of this cover. They had to make sure the project didn't harm the water supply. They also needed to create different climates inside the dome for various plants. All of this had to be done without going over budget.
Despite these challenges, the conservatory was successfully built. The reservoir still provides water for the city today.
A Generous Gift
During the 1960s, many companies were giving money to good causes. Lefeaux and Livingstone asked Prentice Bloedel of the Macmillan Bloedel Lumber Company for help.
The Bloedel Foundation gave $1.25 million for the project. The City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation also helped. This money built the Bloedel Conservatory, the Dancing Fountains, and the surrounding plaza. It was the biggest gift the city had ever received at that time.
Putting the Dome Together
The unique dome frame was made in Ottawa, Canada. It was then shipped 3,000 miles across the country to Vancouver. Once it arrived, the main structure was put up in just 10 days!
The entire dome and plaza took 18 months to finish. The conservatory officially opened on December 6, 1969. Over 500,000 people visited in its first year. Prentice Bloedel and his wife Virginia also donated a large bronze sculpture called 'Knife Edge - Two Piece' by artist Henry Moore.
Saving the Conservatory
In 2009, the Vancouver Park Board faced money problems. They decided to close the conservatory. The annual running cost was about $240,000. Plus, the roof needed replacing and other big repairs were coming. The closure was planned for March 1, 2010.
Many groups quickly formed to try and save it. They talked to the park board and city council. In early 2010, attendance numbers went up. People really wanted to visit the conservatory.
By the end of January, the Friends of the Bloedel Association had raised $80,000. They hoped to raise $250,000 by March. In late February, the park board voted to keep the conservatory open! They asked for new ideas on how to run it.
On April 29, 2010, the Friends of the Bloedel Association and the VanDusen Botanical Garden Association offered to run it. Their plan was approved. The conservatory stayed open! In 2013, the Friends of the Bloedel won an award for their efforts. The VanDusen Botanical Garden Association later changed its name to the Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association. This was to show they also managed the Bloedel Conservatory.
Amazing Plants and Animals
The conservatory has three different climate zones inside. These are tropical rainforest, subtropical rainforest, and desert. This allows many different types of plants to grow.
Over 200 birds of various species live freely within the dome. You can see them flying around! There are also tropical fish on display. The Bloedel Floral Conservatory is home to about 500 different kinds of plants. These range from deep jungle plants to desert plants. You can find Bougainvilleas, Browallias, citrus trees, and coffee trees. There are also Eucalypti, epiphytes, Euphorbia, and various figs. Look for Gardenia and Hibiscus, too. Magnolia trees grow alongside delicate lilies, and yucca with pteris (ferns).
Cool Architecture
The conservatory is located about 500 feet (152 meters) above sea level. The dome itself is 140 feet (43 meters) across and 70 feet (21 meters) high. It is made from 1,490 clear plexiglass bubbles. It also uses 2,324 pieces of aluminum tubing.
There are 32 different shapes and sizes of bubbles. Each bubble is 9 inches (23 cm) tall. Inside, there are 8 air circulation units. There are also 24 mist sprayers. These control the temperature and humidity for the three different climate zones.
The special "Triodetic System" was invented in Canada in 1955. It uses strong aluminum parts. This system creates a very strong dome without needing inside support columns. The use of triangles makes the structure very rigid. This allows the dome to withstand strong winds and even earthquakes.
Next to the conservatory dome is a bronze sculpture by Henry Moore. It is called Knife Edge Two Piece 1962–65. Prentice Bloedel and his wife Virginia donated it. They wanted the sculpture to connect the dome and plaza to the power of nature.
Moore made this sculpture in 1962. Only three copies were made. One is in New York, another is in London, England. The third one is right here in Vancouver, next to the Dancing Fountains. This sculpture was the first non-commemorative art piece accepted by the Vancouver Park Board.
Photo gallery
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Bloedel Floral Conservatory dome seen from the grounds
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Jungle environment within the dome
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Filming Location
The conservatory has been used as a filming location for several movies and TV shows. These include G-Saviour, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1, Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, and Beyond the Black Rainbow. A scene from episode 21, Season 3 of Supergirl was also filmed here.
