Muttart Conservatory

Peter Hemingway designed the Muttart in 1976 as four glass pyramids set in the North Saskatchewan river valley, an arrangement chosen because the sloping glass captures low northern winter sun more efficiently than a vertical wall would. Three pyramids hold fixed climates, tropical, temperate and arid, and the fourth is a feature pyramid replanted several times a year around themes. The tropical pyramid holds a waterfall and free-flying birds. Against Edmonton's winters, which regularly reach minus thirty, the effect of stepping into humid heat is the point. The building is a landmark of Canadian modernist architecture and is lit at night.

What you actually see

• The four pyramids - tropical, temperate, arid and a changing feature house.
• The winter contrast - humid tropics inside, deep cold outside.
• The Hemingway architecture - a 1976 modernist landmark in glass.
• The river valley setting - the pyramids against the North Saskatchewan.

When to go

Year-round, and winter is when it matters most. The feature pyramid changes several times a year, so repeat visits differ. Evenings show the lit glass from across the valley.

Honest expectations

It is compact and takes about ninety minutes. The tropical house is very humid and cameras fog. The feature pyramid can be between installations.

Nearby

Fort Edmonton Park lies west; downtown Edmonton is across the river.