The Rubens at The Palace Hotel in Victoria, London, is now home to the city's largest living wall. The vertical garden stands 21 metres tall and is home to over 10, 000 plants, including 20 seasonal varieties. The aim of the 350 square metre natural surface is to reduce air pollution and help control urban flooding, by holding water in large storage tanks.
Older parts of London tend to have poor irrigation systems, which are crucial in such a wet environment. The Victoria Business Improvement District brought in Cary Grant of Green Roof Consultancy to design the permanent feature. The wall will water itself through a drip irrigation system--water from the large tanks will trickle down through the wall to feed the plants, promoting a sustainable irrigation system. The storage tanks can hold up to 10,000 litres of water, which will nearly eliminate all flooding on Victoria's old, cobbled roads.
The plants used to create the living masterpiece were selected very carefully. The Royal Horticulture Society approved, saying that the plants chosen are sure to attract a wide variety of pollinators, including birds, bees, and butterflies. There are high hopes for the success of pollinators, with the bee decline over recent months being it's largest ever. The hotel's website states "We take the issue of sustainable tourism very seriously […] this wall will minimise the hotel’s impact on the environment but also improve the air quality and aesthetic in this part of London."
The Rubens at The Palace's new addition is one of many green surfaces popping up around London. Victoria BID are hoping this will promote sustainable ecosystems in urban environments, as well as be visually appealing for tourists and locals alike.
Below is a time lapse video of the wall being built:
