The idea of a living wall conjures up all sorts of images, but in reality it is nothing more than a wall completely covered in vegetation. In order to create a living wall pre-vegetated or fabric panels containing plastic containers, or geotextiles, as well as irrigation systems and vegetation are attached to the wall or supporting structure. This form of urban gardening is often designed as an art form to decorate buildings in cities and has been hailed as one way to make cities more enjoyable, healthier and ultimately greener places.
1. Musee du Quai Branly [Paris]
One of the best loved vertical gardens inhabits the walls of the Musee du Quai Branly in Paris. Created by Patrick Blanc, the inventor of vertical garden systems, this living wall is simply stunning. Not only do these types of vertical gardens improve the appearance of buildings, but they also improve air quality and lower energy consumption.
2. SkyFarm [Toronto]
This 714 foot structure in downtown Toronto, Canada is a superb example of how living walls and vertical gardens can actually be profitable as well as beautiful. The 58 story building only requires 1.32 hectares of land and yet will have 8 million square foot of agricultural space due to the vertical design of farm. It is said that the crops could yield up to $23 million in revenue per annum.
3. CaixaForum Museum [Madrid]
Another amazing living wall design created by Patrick Blanc, the CaixaForum museum has become a popular tourist attraction largely thanks to this creation. Approximately 15,000 plants of 250 different species were used to cover this 24 metre high wall. The juxtaposition of the old building with the vibrant and alive wall makes this a truly spectacular and memorable building.
4. Vancouver Aquarium [Vancouver]
This award winning living wall was created to act as a noise buffer from the city street and to prove that buildings and ecology can be integrated to enable cities to become greener. Covering 500 square feet the wall is made up of thick modular panels and supported by a galvanized steel frame, making the installation of replacement plants easier and more cost effective.
5. Marche des Halles [Avignon]
Another fabulous living wall design by Patrick Blanc, this creation illustrates that not only are urban vertical gardens ecologically beneficial but they can also prove to be highly artist creations as well. The ingenious design means that no soil is required and the careful selection of plants means that maintenance is kept to a minimum.
6. Qantas First Lounge [Sydney International Airport]
Traveling, even when on holiday, can be stressful. Airports are busy, noisy places and waiting for a flight is incredibly boring and sometimes frustrating – but not if you are one of the lucky few to wait in the Qantas First Lounge in Sydney Airport. Here everything is designer, and the presence of a living wall automatically de-stresses a person. Simple, elegant and a great work of art – this is definitely one of Patrick Blanc’s best pieces.
7. Parabienta [Japan]
This eco-friendly living wall is the result of a collaboration of two Japanese companies, Shimizu and Minoru Industries. Said to be relatively inexpensive to create and maintain, the living wall makes a significant contribution to cooling the building thereby helping to lower energy consumption.
8. Siam Paragon Shopping Centre [Bangkok]
The Siam Paragon Shopping Center would have looked positively dull if it wasn’t for the living walls strategically placed in the interior of the mall. Creating a calm atmosphere and adding color, the architecture now looks absolutely stunning. It is a great example of how bringing gardens indoors can spruce up any interior, especially 0% credit card carrying locals and tourists looking to splash some cash.
9. Rica Talk Hotel [Stockholm]
The restaurant in the Rica Talk Hotel was transformed into a botanical oasis by Michael Hellgren, a landscape architect. To fill the 82 meter square space, he used approximately 3000 plants from more than 100 different species. The effect is a cozy, natural environment making this a truly unique restaurant.
10. Oulu Bar & Eco-Lounge [Williamsburg]
Cited as Brooklyn’s first living wall, the Oulu Bar & Eco-Lounge certainly attracts attention with its huge external living wall. Manufactured by a company called ETL and installed by Green Living Technologies, this stunning vertical garden covers the entire front facade of the building and makes a beautiful contrast against the wooden door and window frame. The entire building looks designer chic proving that being green can be trendy.
11. Another amazing green wall that was completely missed as pointed out in the comment section of this post.
Comment: You’re missing the amazing green wall in Terminal 3 of Changi Airport, Singapore. http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/changi/changi7.html
pictures don’t really do justice to the amazing scale of the thing. it’s a weird experience to arrive into this building when you’re paying attention
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@Karen Maskall: Thanks for your comments.
As you’ve made all these montages of imaginary green buildings, why didn’t you make montages of little green men from Mars to live in them?
@D: Thanks for your comment. What planet are you from? Uh, doesn’t sound like earth.
Clever! What about algae tanks?
You’re missing the amazing green wall in Terminal 3 of Changi Airport, Singapore. http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/changi/changi7.html
pictures don’t really do justice to the amazing scale of the thing. it’s a weird experience to arrive into this building when you’re paying attention
@Jacques: Thanks for the comments. Chemically Green just plain missed the green wall in Singapore. Our mistake, need to change title to 11 amazing green walls.
@Jacques: Chemically Green updated post and name change to 11 amazing green walls and we placed the picture at the bottom of post. Thanks again for your comments. Simple great.
@Phillip: Thanks for your comment. Algae tanks did not qualify for the living wall list.
@Jiggaz69: Thanks for your comment. I don’t believe you have looked at Chemically Green very close by checking out the site. Please prove to me that Chemically Green is a tree hugger.
You have got to be kidding me. Check out my tweets on twitter.
Seems over 40,000 folks enjoyed viewing this post and over 60+ comments, (including comment answers from Chemically Green).
Everyone has an opinion and sometimes it is not very good.
@Ellavemia (Aimee Valle): Thanks for your comments. Pretty cool, actual walls and a few concept walls. What would be really neat would be to make the walls a living viable function of the building.
I know there are many more of these walls and they will make a future post.
Sorry, no green walls for me: weathering is accelerated when plants enter the picture. Oh, sure, the walls might be designed to disallow plants from violating the integrity of the wall. However, plants are sure to get around our designs. Have you considered the cases with Ficus trees? They have broken water mains and slab foundations, I believe.
@SaraAbigail: Thank you for your comments. How many ficus trees do you see in the pictures in this post? Just wondering?
The ficus tree is an indoor plant, is this correct or where is the best area of the country to grow if planted outdoors?
The weeping willow will destroy fill lines, drains, cement patios built flush to the ground and septic tanks in the South.
@SeraphimChris (Chris Taylor): Thanks for the comments.
@manujarch(manujarch):Thanks for the Twitter comment.
10 Incredible Living Walls-Green News: Thanks for your comments and cg appreciates the information you included.
srarellano (Salva): Thanks for the Twitter Tweet.
Bird Gardens, Hanging Baskets, Living Walls, Mosquitoes and Square Foot Gardening: Thanks for sharing this post on your site.
@urbangarden(Ron Wolford): Thanks for the Twitter tweet.
@chemicallygreen.com, Thank you for your response.
I didn’t say that ficus trees are in the pix. I know little about plants except the inconveniences that they cause. When I stated “consider the ficus tree”, I was speaking about roots in general, it was to note that they can damage building structures.
All I know about ficus trees is that they are very pretty but that my parents and/or our neighbors had to remove some outdoor ficus trees to stop damage to their homes.
I don’t know whether ficus is considered inside or outside plants, nor the geographic locations best suited to planting ficus trees.
Yep, most of these are probably photoshopped. Its a great concept however, if you google you can also find houses joined with rocks or trees. Its really neat! The house where I live in has moss growing on its roof and I enjoy that whenever I look out my attic window.
)
@saraabigail: Thanks for your comments. Interesting to find out abut the ficus tree. Most ficus trees I have seen are planted in pots and kept in doors.
@DTs Flash Drive Blog: Thanks for your comments.
Fantastic! Whether they were photshopped or whatever, these are great concepts. I’m going to incorporate them into my premises. How do you mow the turf vertically?
@Zahira: Thank you for your gracious comments. You will have to mow the vertical walls very carefully.
Beautiful Photos!! Real or not :0)
Here’s a simple green-wall technology, for retaining walls: http://gardendesignmag.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-love-this-versa-green-plantable.html
@Dorothy: Thank you for your comments. Some walls are real, some are pictures and artist’s renditions.
@Ken: Thank you for the link to building a green retaining wall. cg always appreciates your comments.
Living walls are by far some of the most beautiful things…EVER. When I was younger I would always imagine my house with a large and gorgeous living wall… Someday I’ll really have one.
I think that Patric Blanc has patened his idea which will restrict the use. Behind the greenery there”s a wire edifice and comlpicated watering system not easy to DIY unfortunately.
@labellavitagift(Michelle Egelhoff): Thanks for your comments.
@immoads(IMMOADS): Thanks for the Twitter tweet.
@Scrapbook Supplies: Thank you for your comments.
@JoJo: Thanks for your comments.
My concern is how you maintain those things! They’re beautiful but it seems like you’d have to be some landscape architect or designer to care for a living wall.
@system trading: Thank you for your comments. Yes indeed, the walls would require some special attention.
@ekotasarim>>Blog Archive>>Dickey Bahceler Araniyour:Thanks for your comments.
@Tilt Studio, Inc.>>Blog Archive>> Incredible living walls: Thank you for your comments.
Man.. that skyfarm in Toronto is a pretty obvious fake, eh? That march de halles, though, looks really good.
isupereco: Thanks for your comments. Some of the pictures were actual artist drawings and not all were real, but included in post for illustration of what green walls might look like. Really neat concept and hope you enjoyed.
What I liked about this is the over exageration of your far-fetched minds of whoever wrote the specs of that wall. Some one was smoking the wacky weed and using a calculator backwards writing those specs.
A 714′ tall building that is 58 stories tall, with 8 million square foot of agricultural space due to the vertical design of farm, with a yearly yield of crops of 23 million dollars. You could solve the Worlds hunger crisis.
Given you the benefit of doubt, a buiding 714′ tall at that slant would only yield you less than 13′ per story or 754 linear feet of slope. Now take your 8 millon s/f divide that by 754 l/f and you have a 10,610 feet long, just over 2 miles long wall.
I, sure would like to read any comments about this.
green wall at oulu bar is not there anymore..it dies after 5 months..ELT livingwall is a piece of crap and the entire company too !
i know poeple trying to use it and dismantel everything afer short period of time.
however,we met a developper in Montreal, Quebec that has a system tested in this coldness, have no name to give but he’s french canadian.
system’s called Eco-Vertical…see youtube chanel of ‘Greenlaboratory’
I just love those walls !!
Especially the CaixaForum Museum ..
I only wonder how durable it is and what are maintenance costs..
Great post.
I’m Sydney based and flew back to the UK last month. I had the pleasure of seeing the Sydney Qantas lounge wall garden first hand and it really is a delight.
The Atrium at Lincoln Center in NYC is another great example of indoor living walls. I also really like Woolly Pocket Living Walls because they’re easy to install, you can use full size plants right away, and is cheaper per square foot than any other product out there.
@jeff f: Thank u for the comments.
Powerful post.
@bloc pc: thanks for your comments.
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Thank you for the compilation. I’ve used the posts as seeds to help find green wall design firms, to list on my own site. Keep up the great work!