Thursday, May 03, 2007

One has to earn the sparkling green thumbnail...

The New York Times today has an article about Patrick Blanc, a botanist who invented the plant wall. It's a structure of steel mesh and non-biodegradable felt that allows low light plants to grow vertically inside or outside in low light. The article has pictures of his house, which sounds like an incredible frog palace, but I prefer his large scale work, like the outside of the Musee de Quay Branlee in Paris, below.








This is Les Halles, in Avignon.



Below is a wall he made in the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan.



He's done a million things, and they're all beautiful. There's a great Flash slide show of his work here.

His house is pretty good too, though.





All of which, in my opinion, earns him the right to look like this.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder if inside the buildings covered in plants it would be a little cooler in summer? Perhaps it would smell more fresh?

Did you know that plants inside offices can absorb noxious gas from furniture and fittings, thereby creating a healthier environment in which to work?

Sam Simpson said...

I would think they'd serve as insulation, at least. I LOVE the idea of plants as walls.