secondOr eight years ago, plants decorated a quaint pre-1950s building in Mannheim-now this groundbreaking project has won German Architecture Museum (dam). In 2014, the construction company Schmucker und Partner provided a modular planting system for the smooth walls of residential and commercial buildings on Planken, the main shopping area of the city square. The arrangement in the pot is trimmed two to three times a year. The plants are watered by a droplet system.
The cost of the plant box installed without disturbing the rear facade was 350,000 Euros at the time. The architect Klaus Gutschalk von Schmucker und Partner explained that the facade covered with shade-loving plants helps to improve the urban climate. An inner city with many hard surfaces will heat up and radiate heat to the surrounding environment.
Schmucker und Partner defeated 170 competitors in an online competition with six other winners. The well-designed installation completely changed and “naturalized” the facade, which is quite rare in this area of Germany, and it is said that it justifies DAM’s decision. In Singapore, Paris and Vienna, greening of roofs and exterior walls is more important than in German cities. However, there are more green trends than “possibility of urban restoration”.
The price is not adulterated. From July 31st to September 12th, the “SIMPLY GREEN-Greening the Cities” exhibition was held at the City Palace of Stuttgart. The Mannheims have won this honor.
