#5. Pineapples, Luxury & Scotland’s Architectural Heritage
With frequent travel to Scotland coming up, we thought we’d share one architectural project that has become an Instagrammable hit despite being completed well over two centuries ago.
The "Pineapple House" was commissioned by the 4th Earl of Dunmore, John Murray, for his walled garden containing a variety of exotic fruits and vegetables. Back then, pineapples were a status symbol & an emblem of luxury. It took weeks for a fresh pineapple to journey from the West Indies to Scotland or England. That meant a good specimen was rare. Smaller pieces would be preserved in lumps as sugar-coated sweets, whereas whole pineapples would be rented out as table decorations. Then later in the day they would be sold to high net worth individuals for eating. One pineapple would have cost hundreds of pounds in today's currency, making it comparable to sharing a decent bottle of champagne with guests.
So what inspired John Murray to commission this particular architectural curiosity? He left for America in 1770 and became Governor of Virginia. Here, pineapples had acquired an association with hospitality. Sailors returning home would stick a pineapple or two on their gateposts to tell the community they were back and would welcome visitors. From this, the fruit became very popular as architectural decoration. So for the Earl, what better way to celebrate and announce his return than by building a 37-foot high pineapple!
Architecturally, the designer remains unconfirmed, but its construction is known to be ingenious. The stones are graded in such a way that water cannot collect anywhere. The base of each leaf is higher than it appears from below, so that rainwater drains easily from the higher parts.
Fast-forwarding to the 1970’s, pineapples had a resurgence in popularity through cheap travel, which introduced Hawaiian surf culture to the world. Even more recently they made another comeback. From pottery moulds to upside-down cakes and tropical wallpapers to sustainable textiles, pineapples keep appearing.
If you would like to make your own beautiful architectural statement, we can guide and support your vision. Scotland has a different framework to England when it comes to planning applications, listed buildings, and building regulations. If you have a project query or simply want to talk pineapples, we are always happy to listen.