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Adelaide’s ‘tallest living wall’ due for city square

Jun 30, 2015
An artist's impression of the living wall at the entrance of Bohem. Image: supplied

An artist's impression of the living wall at the entrance of Bohem. Image: supplied

Living walls, vertical gardens, plant walls or green walls – whatever it is you want to call them, they are not just a passing trend.

Implementing greenery into large-scale urban properties requires innovation in method and design as the move towards higher density, inner-city living gathers pace around the developed world.

Bohem, a new residential apartment development to be situated on the corner of Morphett and Wright Streets near Whitmore Square in the CBD, aims to showcase the use of a living wall in all its vertical glory for both practical and aesthetic reasons.

Managing director of Starfish Developments Damon Nagel says the 22m-high living wall to the right of the entrance sets the building apart.

“The living wall is 22 metres in total, incorporates six to eight different plant species, and is the largest one we know of in Adelaide,” he says.

“It rivals the ANZ building’s green wall by miles.”

And the use of greenery as a design component doesn’t stop there.

The façade of the entire building will be layered with more than 3000 exotic plants, creating an integrated vertical landscape woven across each level of the building.

The design objective is to connect the façade of Bohem with the presence of neighbouring Whitmore Square and its gardens.

Nagel says the goal has always been to minimise the distinction between the two sites.

“The plants were right at the forefront of the design of the building and the idea is that when you’re standing in the park you’re not sure where park ends and where the building begins,” he says.

“Bohem will only enhance and challenge the conventional thinking of architecture and how it ties in with its surroundings.

“The plants make it very original and it may influence and inspire other architects to think laterally about building materials and architecture.”

Tract landscape architect Hayley Irvine says her extensive use of plants and greenery aims to complement the square.

“The intent of the greenery is to essentially wrap the green from the neighbouring square, up the façade,” she says.

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An artist’s impression of Bohem from Morphett Street. Image: supplied

“We were designing for colour and form in order to compliment the all important façade and we’re aiming for seasonal variation to match that of the square below.”

According to Nagel, Bohem is nearly four months into the sale process, which is tracking as expected with owner-occupiers at 40 per cent.

Nagel says features such as a rooftop recreation pool and deck, commercial spaces on Morphett Street and funky retail offerings on Wright Street to match the arty vibe of the area give him confidence the building will be fully occupied by completion.

Bohem offers a range of different lifestyle choices with smaller apartments ranging from $339,000 to $580,000 and two different levels of luxury penthouse.

The first penthouse variety is selling from $1 million to $1.3 million, while the more opulent penthouse options – positioned at corners of the building allowing for views spanning the city to the foothills – feature two-storey, seven-metre-tall ceilings and range from $2 million to $2.5 million to purchase.

Nagel says the development is a sign that Adelaide is increasingly competitive with architecture on a national scale.

“In the last two years we’ve had phenomenal growth, and we’re maturing with our building,” he said.

“We’re experiencing better design and we’re starting to see that impact and enjoy the effects.”

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