World-renowned botanist, artist and, yes, Parisian Patrick Blanc has added a unique, definining landmark to San Francisco's rich street scene: a three-story vertical garden.
With 4,150 plants and 100 native California species, the walls of the Drew School may soon become one of the most-photographed structures in the city.
"This vertical garden includes native plants seldom seen in cities, including rare and endangered species," Blanc wrote in a release. "Drew's project shows how we can transform naked city walls into ever-changing havens for biodiversity that inspire, educate and beautify."
Blanc is known as the creator of the vertical garden, having installed them in Madrid's CaixaForum Museum and Paris' Quai Branly Museum.
The garden is 1,720 square feet of lushness -- and it's Blanc's largest installation yet. It shrouds Drew's new assembly wing, performing arts space and classroom building. The school calls it its "New Roots" project.
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Also from the release:
Building designer Bonnie Fisher of Roma Design Group said the new wing “is a model for other buildings, in particular schools, which demonstrates how the comprehensive benefits of landscape and building technology can be integrated.” She also said it makes greening efforts more visible and accessible to the larger public. The seedlings planted will begin to grow and flourish immediately to create an “oasis” effect within the neighborhood, greatly adding to habitat, particularly for butterflies and hummingbirds.
