Under pressure from other more sustainable buildings popping up around the world, such as the recently featured Bahrain World trade Center, London’s Gherkin Tower, designed by Norman Foster, has recently begun testing an innovative vegetated facade panel which promises to change the face of building design forever. This new “Green wall” product, known as the Core Hydraulic Integrated Arboury panel, promises to bring the benefits of green roofs to any exterior surface of skyscraper.
The panel works by obtaining moisture through the air and funneling through its specialized membrane properties allowing it to provide for enough water to allow for plant growth. The plants, mostly a mixture of lichens and grasses are expected to grow out of the panel and envelope the facade. Needless to say the benefits of the panels are many: Shading, increased internal daylighting, thermal insulation, reduced water consumption, energy generation for the entire building, recycling of materials, reduction of toxicity in the interior spaces, acceptance of the Kyoto treaty by the countries which have yet to sign, world peace, and a rise in property rental income.
IVG Asticus, the owners of the tower, are excited about their property. “The tower is expected to use less than half the energy consumed by air-conditioned office towers.” + April Fools!
27 Responses to “GHERKIN BUILDING GOES GREEN!”
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Nice look, but do you mean lichens or leeches, not sure if I’d want to walk by a wall of leeches.
Leeches, I find leeches funnier… Oh fine
Yeah, I’ve heard about this, too. It’s all part of Green House Artistic Sustainability Programme, sponsored by Prince Charles.
The full name of the project is “Core Hydraulic Integrated Arboury Panel Exo-Terrarium” aka CHIAPET.
Wow-
The applications of Core Hydraulic Integrated Arboury will be huge and varied. Just off the top of my head, I can think of:
1.Core Hydraulic Integrated Arboury Personal Entertainment Towers
2.Core Hydraulic Integrated Arboury Hall Extension Accessory Dwellings
3. Core Hydraulic Integrated Arboury Lateral And Massive Buildings
The list goes on…
Well done! But how do you mow it?
do u relise what day that was posted on ” April 1, 2007″ the first of april need i say more if u still dont gett it google the date
Hahaha… Although I’m afraid I don’t get the CHIAP reference, is this an American joke? Either way, good one, you at least fooled Travis (and Dan?)!
I don’t like this green design concept, or its implimentation. I have the highest respect for Sir Norman Foster’s designs, but when I see this one I ask: “What was he thinking ?” I look forward to seeing his next design.
At last – humor in architecture.
You got me – I thought this was cool and started researching maintenance issues!
It’s too bad, buildings like this would be so awesome…
Weren’t the chiapets the things that had the long fuzzy hair? No, wait, they were these things (http://www.wackypackages.org/realproductsscans/3rd_2005/chiapet.jpg) you water them and the cress grows out. Soon as I saw the line about enveloping the building I knew it was a joke. What office is gonna want plants covering their windows? Nice idea though. Lot of those skyscrapers are incredibly ugly, this one included.
Don’t care for this building… Not sure what Foster was thinking? Most of us refer to it as * The Vibrator *
That is the most phallic building ever.
James Wines and S.I.T.E should have thought of this thirty years ago!….OOPS, they did, didn’t they?
Moderation???? Surely I am the soul of moderation.
There’s a type of pickle called the “gherkin”. this building looks like a gherkin pickle.
Well… *sigh* …at least it might release valuable space from golf courses…
just what we need – even more lawn to mow! and where will they find aerially trained gardeners???
you can really do this to buildings, even if the system isn’t called CHIAPET. there is a system in a school in Obernai, Alcase that has a green wall system.
as for the people who object to the design of The Gherkin: what, do you think that perhpas they should have built yet another extruded rectangle like every other tall office building? hmmm? this is much better1
I know, I know, sarcasm doesn’t translate well into text, but you are kidding aren’t you Lindaloo?!
the obvious part of the joke is the green facade for high-risers – the more “sustainable” joke is to compare the London building to the “gimmick” towers of the Bahrain World Trade center of WS Atkins.
I’d like to know the price of this product, becouse i want to use it in a my project!
who produce this green wall?
thank you very much!
can you answere please at my email? thanks , arch. Luca Di Pietro
my email is : lucadipietro@gmail.com
lol this is good! I just can’t figure out how it will increase the day lighting at maintaining the function of shading at the same time… maybe they will grow couple of glow-worms on interior side of this new exciting material
Surprisee Admin , i w/ ur blog.
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