Diagonal Mar shopping center,
Barcelona
In Barcelona, the Diagonal Mar shopping center incorporated an innovative vertical garden that not only beautified the space but also contributed to the environmental sustainability of the area.
This vertical garden, designed in the shape of an arch, fits harmoniously into the modern architecture of the center, creating a striking visual that captures the attention of visitors and passersby. To complement its curved form, a custom gutter system was designed, ensuring that the garden’s drainage is seamlessly integrated.
The garden design includes a variety of plants selected for their hardiness and low water requirements, optimizing resource conservation and promoting urban biodiversity.
Why this garden system and not another one?
We considered that this F+P system was the right one for this place because it is an innovative modular system which presents some special characteristics such as the following:
1. It is a totally waterproof system:
The modules include in its design a waterproofing system that guarantees a total watertightness against water or wind.
2. It is a compact vertical gardening system:
The maximum thickness of the modules is 70 mm plus 10 mm of air chamber in the installation.
3. It has high resistance to cold:
Thanks to the thickness of the substrate made of special inert material for vertical gardens, we can increase the cold resistance of the plants.
4. Water saving for irrigation of the vertical garden:
The system can perform the irrigation by recirculating the water, so that there are no losses, considerably reducing maintenance costs.
5. The mineral substrate as an evaporation surface:
The mineral substrate used functions as an evaporation surface, contributing to the effect of shading and evapotranspiration of the plant material that of water evaporation as a passive element of climate control.
6. Greater surface accessibility:
The substrate is accessible on 100% of the surface, facilitating maintenance and replacement work. In addition, it evolves on 100% of its surface as a living material due to the proliferation of mosses and algae that cause a natural coloration.
7. Reduction of the irrigation installation:
Thanks to the distribution by gravity and capillarity of the cultivation cubes, it allows to reduce the irrigation installation to one linear meter for every 5 to 7 linear meters used by other modular solutions, reducing both the installation and the maintenance of the same.
8. Favorable physical properties of the substrate:
The physical properties of the substrate used make it ideal for adapting to the water needs of any type of plant, both indoors and outdoors.
How is an F+P vertical garden maintained?
The truth is that the maintenance of this type of garden is not very different from any other of our systems. The F+P system requires one visit per month in which the following actions will be performed:
- General visual inspection of the vertical garden.
- Visual control of the irrigation system.
Maintenance and adjustment of the irrigation system. - Visual control of the presence of pests.
- Phytosanitary treatments if necessary.
- Supply of fuel for hydroponics (fertilization, acid, spare parts, etc.) if necessary.
- 2 pruning and growth control throughout the year.
- Guarantee and replacement of plants.
Vertical garden of CC Diagonal Mar in Barcelona
The garden was comprised of an aluminum supporting structure, waterproof structure modules and substrate comprised of SG-40 inert substrate panels.
The plants are specially selected for the site at a rate of 30 plants per square meter.
Of course, it includes an irrigation system for the plant wall, filtering, pumping unit, remote control elements and irrigation programming.
Installation site of the vertical garden
Construction process
Plants installed in the vertical garden
Vertical garden completed
Design of the vertical garden in Barcelona
As we mentioned at the beginning, the vertical garden of Barcelona forms an arc and this made the pouring water was made to measure to achieve the same curved shape. Below, we show you the design of this garden:
Vertical garden design
Species of the vertical garden in Barcelona
The species we installed in this vertical garden were the following:
- Adiantum capillus-veneris,
- Athyrium niponicum «Red beauty»,
- Begonia rex,
- Chlorophytum comosum “Variegatum”,
- Dryopteris erythrosora,
- Plectranthus coleoides
- “Lemon twist”
- Polystichum polyblepharum,
- Spathiphyllum wallisii “Alana”
Selected plants