Urban Life with Vertical Gardens

Tomas Stephens

Urban Life with Vertical Gardens

Tomas Stephens


 

Hello my name is Tomas Stephens and my portfolio name is Urban Life with Vertical Gardens. The type of license that I will be using is CC BY-NC-SA

Introduction

The work that Patrick Blanc creates are known as green walls, or vertical gardens. These types of gardens capture many different types of plant species, which are usually put in a vertical way which is what gives these gardens their name. Blanc incorporates these gardens into everyday life, mixing the gardens into urban spaces, and also contributing to aesthetics and environmental benefits. Vertical Gardens. Patrick Blanc’s works usually show themes related to the biodiversity and the integration of nature into urban environments.

Themes

Two themes that Patrick Blancs uses when doing his works is the way he integrates nature into urban areas. The way he does this is creating his known artworks, known as vertical gardens, He designs and then installs different types of plants usually on the exteriors of buildings, and thus transforming concrete walls into colorful ecosystems. Another theme that Blanc does is the many different types of plants in his artwork thus increasing the biodiversity. The reason he has so much biodiversity in these vertical garden is a way of creating a ecologically rich, vibrant, and colorful environment.

Analysis

“Drew School” by San Francisco Planning Department and licensed under CC BY 4.0

This school had a plan in 2007 when they proposed to build a three-story assembly and classroom wing with an idea of creating the entire side of the wall is full of plants. Blanc and two other designers worked on this project, this is made up of thousands of plants from different areas and finally completed it in 2011 . Students also end up studying the plants on the wall as a living lab for many subjects such as botany, chemistry, and physics.

“Patrick Blanc’s green cube” by Inhabitant and licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

This “cube” of orchids is four walls of plants with doorways and windows that was created in New York Botanical Garden and was available to see between March 3 – April 22, 2012. When someone steps outside of the little “cube” they will be hit with many different types and colors of orchids. In the inside of the “cube” people will be treated with many of Blanc’s drawings and images that reflect the diversity of plants that sparked his creative flair for growing plants in urban areas.

“Caixa Forum” by doctor muerte and licensed under CC BY 4.0

The Caixa Forum Museum is a modern art gallery and also a refurbished power station. This museum is in the heart of Madrid’s culture district. This wall was made by Patrick Blanc in 2001, and is said to have between 15,000-17,000 plants and nearly 300 different species picked out to keep in mind the very hot summers and cold winters in Madrid.

Application

 

Vertical Gardens are very important in understanding society today, as because they reflect a growing awareness of all the environmental issues and a desire for sustainable urban living.  These gardens emphasize the shift into more ecologically friendly practices, all while creating space in urban areas. Thus this provides a connection with nature even in urban areas and making these urban areas more eco-friendly and more livable cities. Not only do these vertical gardens help create space and increase the biodiversity in these cities, they also help the environment around it by improving the air quality around it and they also help regulate and reduce the urban heat.

Media Attributions

  • Patrick-Blanc-Drew-School
  • Patrick-Blanc-Green-Cube
  • Patrick-Blanc-Caixa-Forum

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Urban Life with Vertical Gardens Copyright © 2023 by Tomas Stephens is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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