GREEN WALL

I see many different style of green wall recently as it has been popular trend led by Vertical Garden.   But I also see many classic style of ivy wall around my place in Melbourne. 

The picture below are in parkville campus of university of Melbourne.  Although i am not sure if this has certain practical effect  for "sustainability" such as decrease of building temperature, it certainly gives different colour, giving people aesthetic impression of different seasons.  

East side of wall of university house seen from Northcourt at parkville campus on April.
Same wall taken in May.

The lecture in week 8 was about Green wall by Erwin from Aspect.

He introduced the different type of technology in green wall, including

1. Modular system, 

2. Integral membrane system

3. Trellis/ Wire, 

4. Stacking- container, low-tech

Each system has advantages and disadvantages.  It is important to select appropriate system, taking considerations of species, water, maintenance, building structure, and cost. 

This is my sketch of a fairly new green wall system, called flush green wall.

Here, I will take a look at various different style of green wall.

This is a one of the most famous green wall artist, Patric Blac's work.

Heis well known for vertical garden beyond the boundary 

This is my sketch of work of my favorite Landscape architect, Robert Burle Marx .  He designed the green structure called xaxim colum. It is steel paul with wire surrounding in spiral way so that plants can climb 

This is the famous baseball stadium whose structure are covered by ivy.

I remember the impression as wild, messy, and bit scary.  It does not mean negative impression but was neutral.  I remembering this to recall the general public perception of green wall, because I who study landscape architecture for a while, do not have fresh eye to them.

I think those green wall which strongly frame like Patrick's work is usually appreciated but it  is not practically and functionally sustainable, requiring high maintenance.  On the other hand, those green wall that are more wild and natural, low maintenance are hard to appreciated.  Which we want depends on context, however, we landscape architect/ designer want to seek the high frame with low maintenance and high function of the plants.  

As a extreme case of it, Ping mag  introduces some of the interesting green wall that does not have function but appealing to people for green aesthetics.  

Green wall in plathome of subway in Tokyo.

reported inPingmag

This is a work of Jeff koon  on public space in city of Bilbao.

The planting around its chin where is hard to maintained are ivy which does not require maintenance.  This creates the companion element for its artwork with the whistle of birds created nest on it. 

This is the detail

There are stenless mesh inside and flowers are planted in pots. 

This is a massive modular system green wall presented in World Exhibition in Aichi.  It is 15m high, 150 width and 3500 square meter.   200000 plants are used. 

One of the discussion within the question was about fundamental question of necessity of green wall towards.  I do not necessarily see the practical and functional advantage of green wall for sustainability, for instance mitigation of urban heat island etc.  However, i think it is great that people spend time and money  to bring green or natural element to live with them in city. I think there is a value in its process itself.  I believe there is a big difference between concrete jungle city where people have no opportunity to even know about living with nature and green city where people struggle controlling, ending up with fail to do it in most of the time.

What the difference of the city consists of these buildings below (before and after) are significant.

Before

After