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An Antigravity Forest

Posted by: Tim Halbur

2 September 2009 - 1:00pm

The new facade of the Atheneum Hotel in London sports 12,000 hanging plants, creating a lush curtain of greenery. Wired Magazine has pictures of the facade and other similar sites.

The Atheneum facade was designed by botanist Patrick Blanc.

"Blanc 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.

But plants for this vertical landscape must be chosen with care. Because the walls are so high, conditions vary widely."

Full Story: 8-Story Antigravity Forest Facade Takes Root
Source: Wired, August 24, 2009
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