History of green walls

Beautiful green walls, which are increasingly part of design buildings, are slowly but surely becoming known to the general public. They are becoming more popular in offices, where they create the work environment more pleasant for employees and as an aesthetic addition to the home. Do you know that their inspiration goes deep into history? Discover the origins of this great invention, which gently brings more nature into our daily lives.

What is a green wall?

Green, living, or vertical wall is the name of the walls, which are covered with living plants thanks to special constructions like Flora Panel. It is a modern pillar of modern architecture, but its history probably goes much deeper.

Green paradise as proof of love

Green wall probably finds its inspiration far away in ancient Babylon (today’s Iraq), wherein 600 BC. according to legend, King Nebuchadnezzar II had Amytis built for his wife, immigrated from a beautiful land full of greenery, an enormous hanging garden. She missed her country Media, where she was surrounded by wildlife and mountains. So far, there is no direct evidence of the existence of this wonder of the world, but according to historical records, this is the first building with a built-in irrigation system. Springwater flowed from the top of the palace walls through the gardens that adorned the terraces of the magnificent palace, thus supplying the necessary moisture to all the flowers.

The first green wall

In the 1930s, Stanley Hart White, a professor of landscape architecture at the University of Illinois, developed the first green wall system. He tested prototypes in his backyard in Illinois, Urban. In 1938, he patented his invention under the name “Botanical Bricks”. White was a talented artist and tried to inspire students with his creative approach to teaching. A great example is his illustrative drawings on the board “Ten pictures for teaching landscape architecture,” which he used to convey the principles. He also had a brother, the famous author of children’s books, Elwyn Brooks White, who wrote, among other things, the story of the mouse Stuart Little.

Inspired by wild jungle

However, the founder of vertical gardens was for a long time considered the French botanist and art designer Patrick Blanc. But it was thanks to him that the whole world discovered (and still discovers) the beauty of the vertical green walls called Mur Végétal, in English Vertical Garden. He immortalized his knowledge and creations in several beautiful books. Blanck seeks inspiration mainly in the wild jungles, he is fascinated by the colors and structures of tropical leaves and the vegetation of beautiful waterfalls.

Flora Panel is one of the most modern green wall systems. Look at our implementations, which bring more nature to cities and make the world healthier and greener.