Living Walls at the ‘The Sky Terrace’ Landmark Pinnacle

Soaring 75 floors above the city, the breath-taking Sky Terrace spans the top floor of the Landmark Pinnacle building.

Chalegrove Properties, the developer of Landmark Pinnacle, working with Squire and Partners and Farrer Huxley Landscape Architects had a collective vision to create a unique space befitting of the exceptional views which surround the roof garden. The space has been designed as a pair of landscaped external terraces providing spectacular panoramic views over London, while offering a healthy environment embracing biophilia to ensure residents can connect with nature in an otherwise urban setting.

Biotecture’s living walls create lush green backdrops for both the east and west terraces. The green walls are constructed using Biotecture’s patented hydroponic living wall system, which was developed by the founders of the company in 2007 and remains the most flexible, resilient, and low water use of any fully comprehensive living wall system anywhere in the world.

Living walls are a space efficient way to bring more plants into urban areas where space is literally and financially at a premium. Bringing more greenery into urban spaces can help reduce stress and anxiety, and together with the wider planting scheme, the living walls form the backdrop for a tranquil and relaxing place for residents and their guests to unwind. Living walls have also been proven to improve air quality, cool urban areas, and increase biodiversity.

The lighting scheme was designed by Hoare Lee to bring the wall to life in the evening.

Design and Project Management

Biotecture were first approached by Charlgrove Properties in 2020. Squire and Partners and Farrer Huxley Landscape Architects had a clear vision for what they wanted. Our design and project management team were able to take the project forward, advising on technical requirements and producing drawings.

Selection of Plant Pallette

All plants used in Biotecture’s living walls are selected from Biotecture’s plant database to suit the local climatic conditions, including aspect, wind conditions and shade. Level 75 is the UK’s highest living wall, and the roof terrace is open to the elements. The plants were selected to withstand high exposure to sunlight and wind.

The plant selection is mainly hardy and robust evergreen plants with dashes of colour creating a naturalistic background overlaid with bursts of seasonal interest.

Horticulture

Our BioPanel system incorporates Grodan as a growing medium. It is dimensionally stable, chemically inert, and supremely water efficient making it ideal for living walls. The living walls were planted up in our West Sussex Nursery and allowed to mature for 12 weeks before being installed on site. This ensured the living walls looked fantastic from day one. The living walls include an integrated irrigation system which is being remotely monitored from Biotecture’s head office.

Installation

The fully planted up BioPanels were fixed to aluminum cladding rails mounted onto a waterproof backing board. The team worked closely with Chalegrove to ensure the living walls were delivered to the required schedule.

Maintenance

Our living wall system gives the plants the best opportunity to flourish, and our maintenance operatives know how to keep them that way. Our team will carry out regular horticultural visits to keep the walls looking their best.

Photos by Oliver Dixon, courtesy of Chalegrove Properties