Talking about vertical gardens means talking about Patrick Blanc, the French botanist who had the idea of creating a new way of experiencing gardens. Mur Végétal, as he called his creative invention by him, is not only a way to revive cities and small spaces, but also and above all, a way to combine aesthetics and ecology. Vertical gardens are an ecological solution to improve the walls’ soundproofing and thermal performance. The plants leaning against the walls make it possible to avoid overheating caused by prolonged exposure to the sun and, at the same time, reduce heat loss during the winter.
Patrick Blank, the inventor of the green wall, is a French botanist who was long considered extravagant and visionary before becoming a real star of the city greening. Graduated in biology and specialized in botany, he drew inspiration for his innovation of green from the study of plants in the Thai and Malaysian undergrowth, which showed him how plants could live by growing vertically along the rocky walls of various heights. Thanks to his deep knowledge of the different types of plants, Patrick Blanc experimented with the growth of plants on vertical walls, first of small walls and gardens, then of entire buildings.
His first official work was commissioned in 1986 by one of the most critical institutions in the science and technology sector: the Cité des Sciences et de l ‘Industrie, the city of science and industry in Paris. This research center was a veritable citadel museum; this research center was a real springboard for Blanc’s expressive and ecological art, confirmed by creating the facade of another French museum, the Musée du Quai Branly. In over twenty years of activity, he has made an infinite number of vertical gardens, both for private individuals and public bodies. Examples include the facade of the Caixa Forum in Madrid, that of the Athenaeum Hotel in London, the Pont Juvenal in Aix-en-Provence, and many others. For each vertical garden, Blanc carefully selects the number and different species of plants. For example, for the London Athenaeum, the French botanist has focused on over 250 other species for a total of 12 thousand plants.
If the technical part is essential to ensure proper nourishment to the plants and at the same time to ensure maximum resistance to the wall, Patrick Blanc’s vertical gardens never underestimate the aesthetic aspect. The plants’ choice and arrangement along the wall must be carefully carried out. The various atmospheric aspects must be taken into consideration, such as brightness, average air temperature, humidity, and all those parameters that allow us to understand the possibility of a life of one species or another. Of course, the most used plants are small shrubs, ferns, mosses, and various types of green or floral plants. Furthermore, the arrangement of the different species allows the creation of natural shades of green and geometric figures of different types.
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Patrick Blanc: the man of living walls and vertical gardens
In an increasingly modern and industrialized reality, oppressed by concrete constructions and car smog, it is vital to constantly find new methods to insert a little green in urban spaces, according to a particular and competent strategic plan.
Many initiatives establish gardens or parks where citizens can bring their children animals or enjoy a moment of relaxation and escape from the usual gray urban reality. However, these small oases are often insufficient against the increase in palaces, skyscrapers, and buildings.
The best solution seems to be to merge two realities into one: city architecture with nature’s green. This way, architectural works with a lower environmental impact than classic and visually more relaxing buildings can be created.
Does it sound like a utopian project? Patrick Blanc, a famous French botanist, disagrees. He achieved what seemed impossible: the union between city and nature. The results of this work process are genuinely unique and can be admired in many cities of the modern world.
Patrick Blanc: biography and studies
Born in Paris on June 3, 1953, Patrick Blanc showed a great passion for plants early, especially for the tropical ones, curious and irresistible exotic charm. Growing up, their love for botany has only increased, leading him to concrete study paths. He maintained the ambitions that led him to enroll in the biology faculty of the University of Paris VI Pierre et Marie Curie.
The first trip to discover exotic plants dates to 1972, in Malaysia and Thailand. Here he exploits the basics of the study of botany and his innate passion for carefully observing the growth of local species on the rocks, their behaviors, their methods of adaptation to the climate and climatic conditions in the undergrowth.
This, like the numerous subsequent trips, represented Patrick Blanc’s inspiration for the conception of his architectural project di Lui and provided him with exciting insights into the various possibilities of realization.
Back in France, Blanc discusses the thesis of the third doctoral cycle in 1978, while in 1989, he obtained a degree in biology with a specialization in botany. The prestigious roles, however, come much earlier, as early as 1982, when he was hired as a scientific researcher at the CNRS, the Center National de la Recherche Scientifique, as well as head of the laboratory of the University of Paris VI (where he had studied).
Patrick Blanc: his activities for the environment
It was in the 1980s, thanks to in-depth studies and research, that Blanc began to realize his projects. He begins to design what would later become a fundamental discovery for his career and the ecological renewal design of many cities. These are vertical gardens, also called vegetable walls. We are faced with particular installations on the walls of the buildings, which allow the growth of plants and mosses of various types by covering the wall on which the intervention was carried out. Vertical gardens are a green mantle with an aesthetic and ecological function.
The first official assignment concerning the vegetal walls came to Blanc in 1986. He was called to carry out his first concrete work in the City of Science and Industry in Paris, an exhibition center with exhibitions and shows representing the fascinating world of science and its phenomena. There could not have been a more representative place to exhibit your highly innovative project.
From that moment on, Blanc’s career accelerated, giving life to ever new and increasingly ambitious projects. After graduating in biology in 1989, the posts multiplied, and Patrick Blanc became the lord of the vegetable walls. Cities worldwide were adorned with vertical gardens created by him specifically to regenerate biodiversity in urban centers. He was a real pioneer of this branch.
The creation of green walls and a vertical garden
Blanc’s project is undoubtedly ambitious, as well as incredibly innovative. His creation was born to bring radical changes to the livability and diversity of botanical species within urban centers. But, more precisely, what does this brand new ecological renewal plan consist of?
By vertical garden or green wall (from the French Le Mur Végétal), we mean a particular form of the urban landscape created by cultivating plants on an urban wall, usually vertical, according to various styles or colors. They exploit the presence of two layers of fibrous material and an irrigation system placed between them to feed and grow naturally. Their appearance may seem that of any other climbing plant left free to take over the entire wall or building; in reality, however, the system these plants are grown is more complex and responds to detailed botanical studies.
Patrick Blanc: what are your works?
As his work continued, after the first successful attempt in 1986, the French botanist and landscape architect always devised new ways of adapting species such as mosses, ferns, trim shrubs, and various types of herbs to the city reality and the vertical walls of the buildings, engaging through studies and experience in the field in selecting species based on the target environment.
His travels have never ceased, continuously fueled by Blanc’s love for botany and exotic species from around the world and their unique strategies for adapting to the environment. His designs have been perfected, always leading to a lower risk of denting the walls of buildings and a more significant benefit to the city. He has sought to extend his work to public and private buildings, galleries, museums, shopping malls, homes, stations, hotels, and much more.
City of Science and Industry of Paris
The vertical garden of the City of Science and Industry in Paris was followed by many other vegetal walls, increasingly avant-garde, spectacular, functional, and breathtaking.
To name just a few: the EmQuartier in Bangkok, the Eclairs Verts in Paris, the Work Project in Hong Kong, the Yamaguchi Shinkansen Station, the roof and interior of the Riyadh KAFD, the Organism exhibition in Turin, the Green Hotel in Paris, One Central Park in Sydney, the Miami PAMM Museum, the Dubai Sofitel, the Juvia in Miami, the Bahrain Green Gate, the Botanical Garden in New York, the Icon Hotel in Hong Kong.
Many others are under construction, including natural urban forests.
Crètel
Naturally, a lover of vertical gardens like Patrick Blanc, so convinced of the aesthetic, economic, and environmental benefits brought by his botanical creations, could not fail to apply his knowledge and projects to his own home in Crètel, which he shares with his companion Pascal.
Working alongside architect Gilles Ebersolt, Blanc designed his home to accommodate as much greenery possible. Inside the house, you can find neat elements such as the famous vertical gardens that Blanc creates in the city. At the same time, however, you can also find plants that grow a bit prey spontaneously to chance. Examples are creepers, exotic plants, aquatic ones, and many other species. The talented botanist wanted to surround himself with these beauties to live in his element: the vegetable one.
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