Longwood Gardens announced that Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience, the most ambitious revitalization in a century of America’s greatest center for horticultural display, will open to the public on Nov. 22, 2024. The project, led by WEISS/MANFREDI in collaboration with Reed Hilderbrand, looks to the future of Longwood Gardens, transforming 17 acres to enhance the visitor experience and to expand opportunities for exhibitions, programs, and events. 

The heart of this transformation is a 32,000-square-foot-conservatory designed by WEISS/MANFREDI as a living and breathing glass house, with walls and roofs that open and close in response to the weather, featuring gardens, pools, and fountains designed by Reed Hilderbrand. The opening will be celebrated with two weeks of festivities, including member-only preview days and special events.

Paul Redman, President and CEO of Longwood Gardens, said, “We are thrilled to welcome our guests in November for the grand opening of Longwood Reimagined, our most ambitious undertaking in our history. This marks an exciting chapter in Longwood’s continuing evolution over the past seven decades from a private estate into one of the world’s great public horticultural destinations. With WEISS/MANFREDI and Reed Hilderbrand’s inspired designs, Longwood adds important 21st-century examples to one of the world’s most important collections of garden designs and glasshouses.” 

Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi, principals of WEISS/MANFREDI and lead designers of Longwood Reimagined, noted, “The natural beauty of Longwood inspired our commitment to create a dialogue between nature and architecture and the new conservatory is the centerpiece of a cinematic sequence of open and enclosed gardens. The relaxed geometries of the pleated conservatory roof and branching columns create tapered perspectives that link the informal geometries of the adjacent meadow with Longwood’s historic conservatories.”

Kristin Frederickson, Principal at Reed Hilderbrand shared, “We were invited to conceive of a new conservatory garden on Longwood’s renowned Crystalline Ridge, one that was not only about horticultural display but would offer the experience of a garden in its own right. Our reimagining of the Mediterranean garden under glass invites guests to explore three planted islands set on a pool of water, animated by bridges, canals, and low fountains. The design advances Longwood’s legacy of marrying horticultural excellence with dramatic expressions of water to bring experiences of wonder to their guests.

Redman added, “The West Conservatory marks the first time we have brought aquatics under glass. The pools that are the foundation of this immersive garden landscape will be filled with plants that are not only beautiful but interact beautifully with the water. The horticulture display will be lush and colorful year-round with seasonal species that add visual interest and color throughout the year, continually inspiring visitors and creating opportunities to appreciate the wealth of Mediterranean horticulture.”

The new Conservatory Terrace Overlook and Lower Conservatory Plaza will open on May 9, when Longwood’s storied Main Fountain Garden resumes performances for the summer season. The Overlook and Plaza form part of an important new east-west promenade that unites buildings and landscapes, from lush formal gardens to views over open meadows into a cohesive landscape. 

A 700-foot-long promenade defined by an allée of 28 Yellowwood trees (Cladrastis kentukea), which were planted last spring, and another of 28 Elms (Ulmus davidiana var. japonica ‘Morton’) to be planted this spring, will lead visitors to the West Conservatory Plaza, revealing the stand of hundred-year-old London plane trees that frame views of the Brandywine Valley. 

From the Conservatory Overlook and Lower Conservatory Plaza, guests will enjoy views of the Main Fountain Garden, which presents dramatic water displays coordinated with music and fireworks. The Conservatory Overlook also features broad stone steps for sitting and viewing the popular Fountain Performances. 

Read more about the ambitious project and more plans coming this year at Longwood Gardens.

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