In Frankfurt, Germany, the 27-floor EDEN tower boasts an exterior “living wall system”: 186,000 plants that cover about 20 percent of the building’s facade. Chicago-based architecture firm JAHN, which spearheaded the facade concept, collaborated with local design firm Magnus Kaminiarz & Cie on EDEN tower.
The green wall contrasts with the residential tower’s white balconies and can be seen from inside the units. “JAHN developed the vertical green features to be visible from within the apartments, framing views of the city with greenery,” Steven Cook, executive vice president, JAHN, said in a statement. “This creates a sense of well-being within the living units, instilling a feeling that one is connected to nature, despite being 75 meters off the ground.”
The Benefits of The Green Element
This green element will prove especially beneficial as more people are working from home, Cook noted. “Adding planted zones to a building’s facades that can be experienced from within the apartment gives the residents who might now spend much of their time at home a sense of being connected to the living world,” he said.
One of the biggest challenges, according to Cook, involved attaching the plants to the vertical walls’ steel substructure. The team achieved this by using an extremely strong, lightweight, and non-combustible fabric originally developed by NASA. The plants were placed into linear sacks made from this special fabric, and then the pockets were bolted to the steel substructure.
Non-combustibility also was a concern when selecting the types of plants. Certain ivy species could not be used because they contain highly flammable natural compounds. The plant selection did include a large percentage of evergreens, so the green wall won’t lose all its leaves or turn brown during the winter.
Construction on EDEN tower started in 2019 and is expected to reach completion this summer.
Owner-developer: gsp Städtebau GmbH (Frankfurt)
Design architect: JAHN (Chicago USA) and Magnus Kaminiarz & Cie (Frankfurt)
Architect of record: Jaspers-Eyers Architects (Brussels, Belgium)
MEP engineer: ventury GmbH Energieanlagen (Germany)
Structural engineer: EHS (Germany)
General contractor/construction manager: IMMOBEL (Belgium)
Facade contractor: Aluprof SA (Europe)
Related Stories
Modular Building | Feb 23, 2015
Edge construction: The future of modular
Can innovative project delivery methods, namely modular construction, bring down costs and offer a solution for housing in urban markets? FXFOWLE’s David Wallance discusses the possibilities for modular.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 23, 2015
Millennials to outgrow Baby Boomers in 2015
The Baby Boomer generation, once the nation's largest living generation, will be outpaced by the Millennials this year, according to the Pew Research Center.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 19, 2015
Is multifamily construction getting too frothy for demand?
Contractors are pushing full speed ahead, but CoStar Group thinks a slowdown might be in order this year.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 18, 2015
Make It Right unveils six designs for affordable housing complex
BNIM is among the six firms involved in the project.
Office Buildings | Feb 18, 2015
Commercial real estate developers optimistic, but concerned about taxes, jobs outlook
The outlook for the commercial real estate industry remains strong despite growing concerns over sluggish job creation and higher taxes, according to a new survey of commercial real estate professionals by NAIOP.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 17, 2015
NYC multifamily sales increased by 39% in 2014
For New York City as a whole, $20 million-plus deals accounted for more than half of all transactions.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 17, 2015
California launches pilot program to finance multifamily retrofits for energy efficiency
The Obama Administration and the state of California are teaming with the Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation on a pilot program whose goal is to unlock Property-Assessed Clean Energy financing for multifamily housing.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 17, 2015
Young Millennials likely to return home
Ninety percent of individuals born between 1980 and 1984 and who hold a Bachelor’s degree left home before they were 27 years hold. However, half of this group later returned to their parents’ home, according to a study by the National Longitudinal Study of Youth.
High-rise Construction | Feb 17, 2015
Work begins on Bjarke Ingels' pixelated tower in Calgary
Construction on Calgary’s newest skyscraper, the 66-story Telus Sky Tower, recently broke ground.
Mixed-Use | Feb 13, 2015
First Look: Sacramento Planning Commission approves mixed-use tower by the new Kings arena
The project, named Downtown Plaza Tower, will have 16 stories and will include a public lobby, retail and office space, 250 hotel rooms, and residences at the top of the tower.
