Scotscape-Dramatic Living Wall unveiled at Royal Lancaster Hotel

Posted by Scotscape on 28th June 2019 -

Royal Lancaster London Unveils Eco-Conscious Living Wall

Designer: Scape Design

Living Wall system and installation: Scotscape

Royal Lancaster London has unveiled a stunning ‘green living wall’ as the final area of reconstruction, following its £85 million renovation. The prestigious hotel overlooking Hyde Park has been completely transformed both internally and externally in this universal restructure.

Sitting on the edge of Hyde Park, Royal Lancaster London recognises and promotes the importance of biodiversity in the current climate. The living wall, which holds nearly 9000 plants, has been designed and constructed to provide an attractive and vibrant approach to the iconic building; helping to connect it to the leafy Hyde Park. Not only this, but the living wall is helping to create a habitat and providing a very convenient food source from the ‘Ajuga’ plant, for the Royal Lancaster London bees, who are residents of the hotel’s roof-top honey-farm.

The living wall seeks to upgrade the external environment and create a new, natural setting for the hotel. In a built-up city, the hotel recognises the importance to provide an attractive green outlook for neighbouring properties and deliver an environmentally friendly element to the area.

The design objectives of the living wall have been set out to complement the sustainability and eco-friendly ethos held by Royal Lancaster London. This has been achieved by:

• Creating an attractive and memorable local landmark at a prominent road junction in an urban environment;

• Providing a planting palette that provides year-round cover and interest;

• Utilising species to suit the aspect, light levels and micro-climatic conditions;

• Using plants that benefit wildlife and improve the ecological value of the local area;

• Planting eight different flowering species that grow with seasonal changes;

• Improving air quality and reducing traffic noise, due to the carefully created design.

The living wall has a unique texture which will allow for year-round greenery while producing lush growth without exceeding the overhang limit. Species such as Ivy, have been planted to provide a huge round of biodiversity benefits, providing an invaluable source of late season nectar, year round shelter to birds, and a winter ‘lifeline’ for wildlife in search of berries.

The initial planting plan was created by Simon Grimbley, Associate Director at Scape Design. Gary Grant the leading environmentalist and ecologist recommended that Scotscape's Fytotextile living wall system met the challenge of the curved structure of the car park ramp where the living wall is specified - for its lightweight and flexible properties.

Additional landscaping work at the hotel undertaken by the Scotscape team to further enhance the exterior included:

*The removal of old planters which have been replaced with new retaining walls for planting which are clad in stunning granite slabs.

*The theme of granite continues, wrapping around a stainless-steel luggage platform to enable safe loading of luggage from coaches and vehicles.

*120m2 of granite sets have been laid to create a new smart driveway.

*Roof decking and astro turf covers the roof – this is for services access only, however creates a much smarter vision for customers whos rooms overlook this roof.

*12 cube planters have also been installed and planted with beautiful prunus trees.

*A repaint and freshen up of the entire project finished off this superb project.

It has been a pleasure to be part of this landmark project in our Capital.