patrick blanc creates tropical plant walls in urban environments by growing carefully selected plants in complex hanging structures made of synthetic felt and steel and plastic under strong lights. i was first awed by one of his creations at the manhattan girbaud store: a lush living wall of plants hanging in the middle of an urban clothing store. indoor plants have an interesting history: the energy crisis of the 1970s incentivized energy-efficient buildings, unfortunately good windows and insulation decreases indoor air quality. in 1973 nasa counted 107 volatile organic compounds being off-gassed by the materials inside the space station skylab, and in 1989 the environmental protection agency counted 900 VOCs in indoor building air. these synthetic by-products of construction and furniture are thought to cause sick-building syndrome. 1984 nasa studies showed that certain plants could reduce the amounts of toxic pollutants in the air, including VOCs. while i like the esthetic of plant walls and blanc’s are spectacular, they have one flaw: the water that is constantly dripped over the plants is not recycled. while i know from personal experience that it is very difficult to recycle plant nutrients, the size and durability of these monumental walls make it a little more wasteful. nevertheless, enjoy these:
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