The Athenaeum Hotel Vertical Garden

Source: Athenaeum Hotel
Artist: Patrick Blanc
Schedule: completed in 2009

Patrick Blanc is THE expert in Green-walls (aka living-walls and breathing walls). He is an award-winning artist and research scientist. He had been for decades examining the way that numerous wild plants naturally grow on vertical rock faces and trees, and since then he has been on a mission to transform concrete walls into beautiful havens of biodiversity. His famous Vertical Gardens hang all over the world, from Bangkok to Paris, New York to Tokyo… and now London in the Athenaeum Hotel.

Using his pioneering planting techniques, Patrick Blanc has created another spectacular Living Wall at the athenaeum. It uses more species of plants than any other Vertical Garden in the UK - including the world's biggest single collection of Urticaceae. Patrick carefully collected the different species from dripping warm locations all over East Asia. Next, he propagated the plants in a nursery in the South of France then inserted the roots into the specially constructed, irrigated felt at the athenaeum.

HOW HE DOES IT

Patrick perfected a technique that enables urban plants to grow vertically without the need for soil. A system of slats is used to secure artificial felt and myriads of strategically placed plant roots, with automated watering and fertilisation. Basically he uses a kind of techno-trellis as the underlying structure: A plastic-coated aluminum frame is fastened to the wall and covered with synthetic felt into which plant roots can burrow. A custom irrigation system keeps the felt moist with a fertilizer solution modeled after the rainwater that trickles through forest canopies.

THE PLANTS

The vertical garden at the Athenaeum is eight stories tall, has 260 plant species and more than 12,000 plants. But plants for this vertical landscape must be chosen with care. Because the walls are so high, conditions vary widely. The shade at ground level is perfect for rare Asian nettles; on the brighter upper stories, plants that usually cling to windblown cliff faces brave the blustery British breezes. Noteworthy species include:

• Adiantum capillus-veneris (From warm temperate and tropical climates - Colin no country listed)
• Begonia grandis PB (Green - from China and Japan)
• Begonia grandis PB (Dark red - from China and Japan)
• Begonia pedatifida PB (China)
• Billbergia nutans (South Brazil)
• Corydalis cheilanthifolia (China)
• Cyrtomium macrophyllum (Japan)
• Fascicularia bicolour (Chile)
• Ficus erecta var. sieboldii (South Korea)
• Fuchsia hatschbachii (South Brazil)
• Fuchsia regia (South Brazil)
• Hemiboea cf. strigosa PB (China)
• Impatiens arguta (Himalayas and East Africa)
• Impatiens mengtzeana (Himalayas and East Africa)
• Impatiens sp 1 (yellow) (Himalayas and East Africa)
• Impatiens sp 2 (pink) (Himalayas and East Africa)
• Iris japonica (Japan and China)
• Lonicera pileata (China)
• Rubus ichangensis (Colin - no country listed)
• Stachyurus salicifolius (China)

Urticaceae:

• Boehmeria platyphylla (India)
• Boehmeria tricuspis (Japan)
• Debregeasia longifolia (India)
• Elatostema radicans var. minimum (Japan)
• Elatostema scabrum (Japan)
• Elatostema umbellatum var. majus (Japan)
• Elatostema umbellatum `Dents de Kyoto' (Japan)
• Pilea matsudai (Taïwan)
• Pilea peperomioides (China)
• Pilea petiolaris (Japan)
• Pilea scripta (India)
• Pilea umbrosa (India)
• Pilea plataniflora (Sikkim)

As well as the aesthetic benefits, the vertical garden will also act as a natural air purification system and act as natural insulation for the building (for more information about the benefits of living walls click here)

Vertical Park Hotel Singapure

Source: e-architect
Architect: WOHA-Architects
Schedule: undergoing construction (completion in 2012)

Designed as a top tier business hotel and office in a garden, the Vertical Park Hotel at Upper Pickering Street demonstrates how we can not only conserve greenery in a built-up high-rise city centre but multiply it vertically in a manner that is architecturally striking, integrated and sustainable.

Located in central Singapore, the site is at a junction between the CBD and the colorful districts of Chinatown and Clark Quay, and faces Hong Lim Park. A contoured podium responds to the street scale, drawing inspiration from landscape formations. These contours are precast concrete elements of modular radii, allowing the complex, sculptural podium to be put together from a basic ‘kit of parts’.

On the ground the contours create dramatic outdoor plazas and gardens which flow seamlessly into the interiors. Greenery from the park is visually extended up into the building in the form of planted valleys, gullies and waterfalls. The landscaping also conceals openings to the above ground carparking while allowing in air and natural light. The top of the podium is a lush landscaped terrace housing the development’s recreational facilities, with infinity edge pools opening up unobstructed views of the city. Birdcage cabanas perched over the waters add interest and delight.

The high-rise blocks housing the hotel rooms and offices are arranged into an open-sided courtyard configuration, breaking up the mass and maximizing views and daylighting into the building. Blue and green glass recalls the water of the nearby Singapore River. The courtyards have contoured sky gardens every four storeys, which bring lush greenery directly to the rooms and continues the landscaping up the entire height of the building. Corridors, lobbies and common washrooms are designed as garden spaces with stepping stones, planting and water features which create an alluring resort ambiance with natural light and fresh air, instead of being 24-hour energy guzzling air conditioned spaces. Tall overhangs work together with leafy foliage to screen these spaces from the weather and direct sun.

A total of 15,000m2 of skygardens, reflecting pools, waterfalls, planter terraces and green walls were designed; this is double the site area or equivalent to the footprint of the adjacent Hong Lim Park. A diverse variety of species ranging from shade trees, tall palms, flowering plants, leafy shrubs and overhanging creepers come together to create a lush tropical setting that is attractive not only to the people but also to insects and birds, extending the green areas from Hong Lim Park and encouraging bio-diversity in the city.

These landscapes are designed to be self-sustaining and rely minimally on precious resources. Rainwater collected from upper floors irrigate planters on the lower floors by gravity supplemented by non-potable recycled Newater, which will also be used for all water features. Photovoltaic cell arrays on the roof will power reticulation systems and softscape lighting.

This project has achieved Singapore’s Green Mark Platinum score, the nation’s highest environmental certification.