Como Conservatory Sunken Garden

Saint Paul, MN | Renovation

 

A SAINT PAUL LANDMARK FOR EVERYONE

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory’s Sunken Garden is a beloved local landmark, but accessibility challenges plagued the space for years. The existing wheelchair lifts at the entrance were not only a visual impediment to the garden design but were challenging to keep in operation. Consistent mechanical issues, caused by the high humidity in the garden, caused the lifts to be out of order for extended periods, making the entire garden inaccessible for individuals with mobility challenges.

 

Working alongside landscape architects Aune Fernandez (AFLA) and structural engineers Paulson & Clark, RoehrSchmitt designed a low-impact solution to maintain the historic nature of the space while ensuring an accessible experience that wasn’t reliant on a mechanical fidelity. Balancing accessibility code, building code, user experience, and the existing garden plantings, this project required careful plotting of ramps and landings, with expanded planting areas, reworking of the existing stone flooring, and new decorative railings.

 
 

PRESERVATION

One of this project’s biggest challenges was the historic stonework. The floor of the conservatory is a patchwork — each of the 38 different stones were pieces of other Saint Paul landmarks; Tennessee Marble from the Saint Paul Public Library, Belgium Black Marble from the Ramsey County Courthouse — and each piece needed to be carefully mapped and catalogued. The masonry experts at Astonia Stone Artisans led the identification and sourcing process of the replacement stone, ultimately custom cutting each piece to match its original counterpart. They also identified the types of stone which could no longer be obtained, ensuring those pieces were salvaged, cleaned, and reinstalled.

 

RoehrSchmitt’s reality capture and laser scanning was critical in the design and documentation of the renovation. With minimal impact to the Conservatory’s operations, we were able to accurately document the existing conditions quickly, develop a robust model, and design the new floor with its strict and unyielding parameters, under a tight schedule. Construction was complete in less than eight weeks.

 

Watch coverage here or read more about it in the Star Tribune.

 

Dreaming big?

 

PROJECT PHOTOS BY GILBERTSON PHOTOGRAPHY