Green walls around London

I did my final end of year thesis on Green Walls – “Sustainable future or expensive green showcase?”  Suffice to say that maintenance is not that sustainable and green, although the walls do add a lot to mitigate the heat island effect and have been proven to aid heat and cold air exchange of the building envelope as well as offer good biodiversity.

But anyway this is a whole other topic and blog and also things have moved on from 2 years ago I suspect..

Green wall at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square – Van Goh’s Wheatfields and Cypresses

They do look good and I have been snapping shots of some – one was particularly good at the National l Gallery last summer. It was meant to bring to life one of Van Gogh’s masterpieces “A wheatfield with Cypresses” and it did, it was rather stunning. Installed by GE and  ANS it had some 8000 plants of varying species. It was a real attraction and I took a few shots of it – but here is the video of its making.

Details of the National Gallery green wall last year

Green wall at the National – a good diversity of plants to give complexity in texture and colour.

Green wall Trafalgar Square – more detail

Whilst stuck in a taxi I took some photographs with the iphone of the Athenaeum Hotel designed by Patrick Blanc a French botanist and the “master” and first proponent of green walls (or living walls). Eight stories high, it’s rather impressive.

Athaneum Hotel London – approaching Patrick Blanc’s living wall

Green Wall at the Athaneum London – eight stories high.

Athaneum Hotel Green wall – a living lushnesss for the city

There are a number of Green walls around London now so check these out on your next visit to the capital:

- New Street Square London

- Anthropologie shop – internal green wall, last time i was there it was not looking great, a ta shriveled up and with holes in it

- Westfield Shopping Centre, Shepherd’s Bush London