"Living" façades are all the rage in architecture today. BD+C has been covering the trend since 2004, when the Edouard François-designed Tower Flower apartment building opened in Paris.
Architect Jean Nouvel now is in on the trend, with the One Central Park Tower development in Sydney, Australia. The project, set to open this fall, consists of two, 380-foot-tall residential towers covered in a series of living walls and vertical gardens that will extend the full height of the buildings. When completed, the project will feature the world's tallest living walls.
The Building Team worked with French artist Patrick Blanc to design and create the living façade. In describing the façade's purpose, project architect Bertram Beissel of Ateliers Jean Nouvel said it will deliver "a flower to each resident, and a bouquet to the city."
The façade will be made up of 190 native Australian and 160 exotic plant species, which will cover about half the total wall area, according to a report by Dezeen.
For more on One Central Park Tower, see reports from the Architect's Newspaper and Dezeen.
Related Stories
| Jan 14, 2016
How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.
Market Data | Jan 13, 2016
Morgan Stanley bucks gloom and doom, thinks U.S. economy has legs through 2020
Strong job growth and dwindling consumer debt give rise to hope.
Architects | Jan 13, 2016
‘Socially engaged’ architect Alejandro Aravena named 2016 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate
Known for his inventive social housing initiatives in his native Chile, Aravena epitomizes the revival of a more socially engaged architect, the Pritzker jury stated.
Architects | Jan 12, 2016
Dear Architecture: It's time to create a level field for female designers
If architecture took one moment to be introspective, it would discover appalling imbalances between the opportunities for women and men, as Perkins+Will's Vershaé Hite and Brittany Eaker-Kirkland wrote in an open letter.
Great Solutions | Jan 6, 2016
Shepley Bulfinch develops elegant design solution to address behavioral issues in emergency departments
ED scheme allows staff to isolate unruly patients and visitors in a secure area.
Market Data | Jan 5, 2016
Majority of AEC firms saw growth in 2015, remain optimistic for 2016: BD+C survey
By all indications, 2015 was another solid year for U.S. architecture, engineering, and construction firms.
Architects | Jan 5, 2016
Potential vs. credential: How men and women differ in career progress
Recent research suggests that women face yet another career impediment: the confidence gap.
Architects | Dec 17, 2015
Capturing utilization and activity data in the workplace
While utilization is an important metric to inform how frequently a space is used, it’s important to consider activity data.
Architects | Dec 17, 2015
Four winners named in NYC sidewalk shed competition
Firms in the Construction Shed Design Competition made designs that are simple to build and use readily-available materials.
Architects | Dec 16, 2015
Lohan Anderson to close, join Wight & Co.
Dirk Lohan, Floyd Anderson and eight others will be hired by the Illinois-based Wight & Co. next month.
