Green wall pioneer Patrick Blanc: "Now everybody is doing vertical gardens"
Dezeen and MINI World Tour: in this exclusive interview with vertical gardens pioneer Patrick Blanc, the French botanist discusses his hanging gardens for Herzog & de Meuron's new Pérez Art Museum in Miami and reflects on why vertical gardens have become so popular.
![Pérez Art Museum Miami, by Herzog & de Meuron Pérez Art Museum Miami, by Herzog & de Meuron](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Perez-Art-Museum-Miami-by-Herzog-and-de-Meuron_dezeen_01.jpg)
The new Pérez Art Museum Miami by Herzog & de Meuron, which opened last month, features clusters of columns covered with plants suspended from the building's large overhanging roof.
![Pérez Art Museum Miami, by Herzog & de Meuron Pérez Art Museum Miami, by Herzog & de Meuron](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Perez-Art-Museum-by-Herzog-de-Meuron_dezeen_468.jpg)
Blanc explains that the Swiss architects approached him to create these vertical gardens after they successfully worked together on the CaixaForum arts centre in Madrid, completed in 2008.
![CaixaForum, Madrid by Herzog & de Meuron CaixaForum, Madrid by Herzog & de Meuron](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/01/CaixaForum-Herzog-and-de-Meuron-Madrid_dezeen_01.jpg)
"We had already covered a wall totally with plants in Madrid," says Blanc. "Here, for the museum, they asked me: 'Do you think it's possible to have the plants on columns instead?' I said: 'Yes, of course.'"
![Pérez Art Museum Miami, by Herzog & de Meuron Pérez Art Museum Miami, by Herzog & de Meuron](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Perez-Art-Museum-by-Herzog-de-Meuron_dezeen_1.jpg)
Unlike a green wall, which faces in one direction, Blanc had to use different types of plants on each side of the hanging columns.
"For the outside surface, facing the sea, [the plants] have to face full sun, they have to face strong winds, sometimes salt and sometimes hurricanes," he says. "The side facing the museum is very dark, so [I used] shade-loving plants."
![Pérez Art Museum Miami, by Herzog & de Meuron Pérez Art Museum Miami, by Herzog & de Meuron](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Perez-Art-Museum-Miami-by-Herzog-and-de-Meuron_dezeen_02.jpg)
Blanc claims the key to creating a successful vertical garden is the diversity of species used.
"I use many, many different species," he explains. "Here, in Miami, I used 80 different species. Sometimes, I use up to 400. When you have so many species, it looks much more natural."
![Pérez Art Museum Miami, by Herzog & de Meuron Pérez Art Museum Miami, by Herzog & de Meuron](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/01/Perez-Art-Museum-Miami-by-Herzog-and-de-Meuron_dezeen_01.jpg)
Vertical gardens are more than just aesthetically pleasing, Blanc goes on to claim.
"Because the roots are growing on the surface, [rather than into the ground], all of the micro-organisms associated with the roots are totally in contact with the air, [which is important] for de-pollution," he says, "Also, you have benefits of insulation."
![The Oasis of Aboukir green wall by Patrick Blanc The Oasis of Aboukir green wall by Patrick Blanc](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/09/dezeen_oasis-of-aboukir-Patrick-White_sq_1.jpg)
He continues: "And, of course, the target it to use water collected from the roof. With a horizontal garden you lose a lot of water through percolation in the soil. You only have useful water when you have a vertical garden."
Blanc believes that vertical gardens have become so popular because they provide an interesting and space-efficient way of introducing greenery into cities and claims he doesn't mind that so many other people have taken on his idea.
![The Oasis of Aboukir green wall by Patrick Blanc The Oasis of Aboukir green wall by Patrick Blanc](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/09/dezeen_oasis-of-aboukir-Patrick-White_1.jpg)
"You use vertical space and usually it is empty space," he says. "I think that is why they have been such a big success." "Everybody in the world is doing vertical gardens. Of course, 20-25 years ago, I was the only one. But I am happy because with this idea I created a new vision of the interaction between human beings, the town and plants."
![Patrick Blanc Patrick Blanc](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/01/Patrick-Blanc-portrait_dezeen_01.jpg)
We drove around Miami in our MINI Cooper S Paceman. The music in the movie is a track called Jewels by Zequals. You can listen to the full track on Dezeen Music Project.
![Our MINI Paceman in Miami](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/12/Dezeen-and-MINI-World-Tour-Miami_01.jpg)