Not to be outdone but the recent unveiling of London’s newest green wall, Paris recently became home to it’s own impressive living edifice. Named the Oasis of Aboukir, the living work of art is an homage to biodiversity and the importance of greenery in one of the world’s most famous cities.
Designed by botanist and vertical gardening expert Patrick Blanc, the Oasis was installed on the gable end of a building overlooking three very busy motorways: Montorgueil, Reaumur Sebastopol and Grands Boulevards. Now, the thousands of motorists who pass through “the triangle” every day will enjoy 25 meters of wall planted with some 7,600 plants representing 237 different species.
Image via Patrick Blanc
According to Inhabitat, the City of Light’s newest green wall was planted in celebration of Paris Design Week, an annual event that runs September 9 – 15. Although the lush wall of greenery looks like its been growing for years, construction only began seven short weeks ago. Blanc’s original sketches show a leaf-like pattern reaching diagonally across the building’s face, and he used plant species of varying colors and textures to fill in the design.
Image via Patrick Blanc
The expert planning and quick execution of this luscious living art are the result of a lifetime of study. Blanc has studied living walls since childhood, and invented the first vertical garden in the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industry in Paris in 1986, according to Velib Paris. He has since created plant-based art all over the world, including a vegetable dress for Jean-Paul Gaultier’s fashion show in 2002.
The Oasis of Aboukir will be officially inaugurated on September 10th, during Design Week.
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