Living wall will cover over 1,500ft2 of a building facade

Artist's impression of the 'vertical park' in Covent Garden.

Artist’s impression of the ‘vertical park’ in Covent Garden.

 

Morgan Sindall subsidiary Overbury is constructing a living wall which will cover over 1,500ft2 of a building facade in Covent Garden, London.

The ‘vertical park’ will be on the corner of Long Acre and James Street and is due for completion in September.

Fit out specialist Overbury, which is also refurbishing the building’s interior, installed a scaffold structure at ground-level between 7pm and midnight, and created a safe working zone between the scaffold and the public. The structure was then wrapped in a 2,500ft2 grass-printed covering, to allow the wall to be constructed behind this screen.

The vertical park was designed and is being installed by specialist firm Biotecture, who abseil down the building’s façade to plant the living wall.

Over 8,000 plants and 21 different species will be planted over an area of 1,500 sq ft, and will be watered by a drip irrigation system which will be run on up to 80% rainwater harvesting.

 

Screen around the building while the 'vertical park' is constructed.

Screen around the building while the ‘vertical park’ is constructed.

 

According to Michelle McGrath, director of Capco: “The wall will have varying tones of green with red, pink and mauve, designed evoke Covent Garden’s colourful past as a flower market.

“The wall aims to refine the quality of the air, increase the area’s biodiversity, capture pollution particles and offer the beauty of a vertical park.”

The living wall is the latest development in the ‘re-greening’ of Covent Garden’, an initiative from Capco, the developer which owns the estate.