The 1882 Pearson Conservatory, St Georges Park - Port Elizabeth
In the three and a half years that I’ve been here in Port Elizabeth, it’s always been a bit difficult for me to go and explore this great city. Due to always being locked up in an architecture lap I only really explore what is around me in my current location. I have never been to St Georges Park but it was awesome to go and see what this park has to offer. It started out with some monuments, but there was one important piece of architecture that attracted me the most, “The Pearson Conservatory”.
It was interesting to read about the history of the Pearson Conservatory in the book Edited by Albrecht Herholdt, “COASTAL CONTEMPORARY Architecture of Nelson Mandela Bay: 2000 – 2013”. Albrecht Herholdt is also a retired Professor of Architecture at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, he is the current Director of Architecture at The Matrix...cc Urban Designers and Architects.
The 1882 Pearson Conservatory restoration was premeditated by The Matrix…cc Urban Designers and Architects. The project completed in 2011.
According to Herholdt, 2013, the Pearson Conservatory was a ‘kit of parts’ that arrived in South Africa from England in 1882. The Conservatory even escaped demolition in the 1970’s, but the building underwent some minor maintenance refurbishments, a broad reconstruction of the conservatory restoring it to its former magnificence.
I have never been over the borders of South Africa but can honestly say that this building is breathtaking and knowing the history of the Pearson Conservatory, I understand why it felt exactly as if I momentarily entered a Conservatory in England.
Approach from the back of the building towards the rear entrance.
The Rear entrance of the Pearson Conservatory
The interior of the building looks so unreal and even the pictures that I took, looks like an Architectural render from some kind of software.
One of the Monument in the St Georges park.
By Just quickly observing I can assume that this must have been a pond with some sort directly where the current vegetation is around the monument. I will cover this in a blog port in the near future.
Bibliography:
Herholdt, A., 2013. Coastal Contemporary: 2000 - 2013. Port Elizabeth: DOT Matrix Publications
