Menu

How can we help you?

Tell us a few details about your project or enquiry and a member of our team will be in touch.

The mere insertion of plants into the built environment can enhance comfort, satisfaction, well- being and performance.

Biophilic Design

Large External Living Wall, 20 Fenchurch Street

  • London, United Kingdom
  • 2014
  • For Land Securities
  • 700m2
  • Maintained by Biotecture
  • Publicly viewable

Project Details

  • Building has a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating
  • 52,000 plants in the living wall

Biotecture was commissioned by Willerby Landscapes to design and install this living wall for the ultimate client, Land Securities, at 20 Fenchurch Street, for whom this is our second project.

At over 700m2 the 20 Fenchurch Street living wall contains around 52,000 plants. The wall was installed on an annex service building opposite the southern entrance. It was commissioned by Land Securities, whose aim was to create an environment surrounding the retail café area that was both pleasant and impressive. It also contributes to their sustainability goals, helping the building to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’. Additionally, it creates functionality and interest on an otherwise unused service building wall.

A mix of ferns, shrubs and grasses create a variety of colours and textures in this living wall; from the crisp green of Evergreen Hart’s Tongue and the red hues of Heuchera ‘Marmalade’ to the small dense leaves of Lonicera Maygreen and the long fronds of Polystichum setiferum. Flowering plants give fragrant bursts of violet, pink and white to the wall throughout the summer, after which berries ripen in the winter to provide year-round interest.

This impressive living wall is still maintained by Biotecture. Our dedicated living wall maintenance team visit the site regularly to ensure that all the plants are receiving the correct water and nutrient levels and to trim back the plants to keep everything looking neat and tidy.

In 2017 Biotecture also designed and installed the bespoke living wall and planters in the ground floor reception space of Sky Garden in the same location. If you are also interested to read more about that project you can visit the Sky Garden portfolio page.

Biotecture installed the Sky Garden green wall when the project was first launched and has been maintaining it ever since. The Wall is an attraction in its own right, extremely popular with visitors for photo opportunities, and always looks in excellent condition.
The design and plant selection is attractive and thoughtful; Biotecture maintain very high standards of coverage and have expert staff to cover every aspect of maintenance, from irrigation to planting to pruning. Their work with the wall has been a real asset to the Sky Garden.

Suzanne Patman Head Gardener, ideverde