Green Wall in Madrid

Ed Morris

Categories: Solutions

Jun 17, 2008 08:06 am 6 Comments

In our travels we have met a lot of green roof enthusiasts.  Check out this amazing building in Madrid: a stunning green wall juxtaposed against the rust of the adjoining building.  The Caixa Forum building designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron in collaboration with the artist/botanist Patrick Blanc.

See other photos of the inspiring green wall on our photo album here: Caxia Forum, Madrid

How can green roofs and, in this case, a green wall, help create a more sustainable future?

We are not the experts, but it seems like it has two positive effects in addition to being beautiful:

1) It connects even the casual passer-by to the natural environment.  One of The Canary Project’s goals is to break down our feeling of the insulation from the forces of Nature.  

Does this building do that?  Or does it perpetuate the feeling that we can tame nature?  

2)  It is a lung: absorbing CO2.  How much actual effect does this have on the environment?

How do we measure these things or does that even matter?

By the way, the Caixa Forum has one other benefit it is an adaptive re-use of an older structure, meaning that environmental costs were spared from having to demolish and manufacture from scratch.
 

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Guest
June 17, 2008 - 1:10pm

Additional benefits: The Green Wall also keeps the area cool by preventing the cement from absorbing heat. Also, a lovely nesting place, potentially reducing the number of disease spreading mosquitos. I would love to see a larger image posted. Beautiful shot, thanks for posting.

CanaryProject
June 18, 2008 - 3:48am

Thanks for pointing out these additional benefits and for your feedback. Are there other benefits? There are other images in our photo album. When you say larger, do you mean bigger, as in file size for sharing, or just larger on the screen?

sarahpmorris
June 18, 2008 - 5:03pm

A green roof also makes the building much more energy efficient: keeping it cooler in the summer and provided insulation against the cold in the winter. FYI from your fan in Central Square, Cambridge.

sarahpmorris
June 18, 2008 - 5:03pm

A green roof also makes the building much more energy efficient: keeping it cooler in the summer and providing insulation against the cold in the winter. FYI from your fan in Central Square, Cambridge.

CanaryProject
June 19, 2008 - 2:59am

Thanks Sarah P. Now we just have to get mom involved in the the blogosphere!

MuhammadZ
May 7, 2009 - 2:54am

Well, green wall is an action against the global warming we are suffering now. That is a nice proposal for the administration to be implemented .The Obama administration has just passed the 100 day mark, and it's been fraught with controversy and debate. Now he has some strong words to Corporate America. The bailout money that many companies received had better have been well spent, as he has made it clear that misuse of the cash advances made to start economic growth will be remembered, especially if anyone wants to line up for seconds. The President has stated that he does not like the governments' involvement in the private sector, since it detracts from the many other issues needing address. Short term loans to big business isn't what Obama would like to be dealing with.

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