The Ecological Facades of Patrick Blanc

The urban geographer Matthew Gandy explores the work of French botanist Patrick Blanc, who applies his scientific knowledge and preoccupations to urban design. After his invention of the mur végetal (green wall), a botanical and structural system for greening buildings, in 1988, Blanc's work has gone on to transcend the creation of merely living walls. Through his landscape schemes Blanc has recognised the city's rich potential for verdant metamorphosis, transforming fern- and moss-covered streets and buildings into unlikely ravines or rainforests. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.