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THE CIRCLE, Zurich Airport

Almost 15,000 Plants for Zurich Airport

The first stage of a green wall installation over an area of 430 m2 – currently one of the largest vertical greening projects in Switzerland – is complete. Together with Zurich Airport and Ramseier & Associates Ltd., the project designer and planner of the «Greenwall», Hydroplant AG devised a detailed concept for an evergreen arrival at the airport.

From prototype to implementation over 430 m2

The evergreen wall serves as a living background for the planned signage of Circle tenants. In addition to meeting visual requirements, the plants also needed to be suitable for a range of different climatic conditions. A 2 m2 model was used by architects to tailor the design and functionality of the general lighting and logo lighting to suit the range of plants and their characteristics. With a view to creating a harmonious effect, a selection of nine suitable evergreen perennials was made thanks to advice provided by the partner company Ingold Gartenbau und Begrünungen AG.

THE CIRCLE

The Circle is a visionary project over an area of 180,000 m2 at Zurich Airport, which sees over 150,000 passengers, visitors, commuters and employees on a daily basis. Guests will in future be welcomed by the sight of an evergreen wall, which will serve as a living background for the planned signage of Circle tenants. The full-coverage façade greening system will also, however, facilitate visual and ecological optimization of the original concrete wall.

Hydroplant project manager Michael Hagenauer spent an intensive period of almost four weeks, with several day and night shifts, working on the assembly of the special construction and irrigation technology, as well as the plant selection and planting on site: «It’s a fantastic example of productive and enthusiastic teamwork. I’m extremely proud to be part of a team working on such a large-scale and complex project – all the way from the initial idea to the ultimate, impressive reality.»

The Fytotextile® system

As the Greenwall needed to meet a wide range of different requirements, a special construction was devised for Zurich Airport. The wall and substructure as a whole was not attached directly to the concrete wall, but at a distance, with an 80 cm corridor making it accessible for inspection. The Fytotextile® system used employs fleece pockets containing substrate for the plants.

Year-round greenery – with a suitable selection of nine evergreen perennials.

A two-stage process – the first stage of facade greening for the 430 m² wall is complete.

Green instead of gray – a welcome sight on arrival at Zurich Airport thanks to the new «Greenwall».

The next stage

The second stage will begin with the planting of the remaining 230 m2 following the opening of the Circle in spring 2022. “We’re looking forward to seeing the project completed, and helping to make Zurich Airport a greener and more stimulating place to be,” said Moritz Küderli, CEO and owner of Hydroplant AG, on behalf of himself and his team. The greening of the almost 150-meter-long concrete wall at the Glatttal tram stop at Zurich Airport is scheduled for completion by the end of May 2022, bringing both a visual and ecological improvement to the location.

Profile

  • Vertical greening
  • Nine plant species
    including Geranium macrorrhizum (bigroot geranium), Vinca minor (lesser periwinkle), Waldsteinia fragarioides (barren strawberry) and Lonicera nitida (box honeysuckle)
  • The Fytotextile® system
  • Zurich Airport

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