The rear façade of Hall 8 becomes a new and unique green space in Barcelona
The vertical forest of the Montjuïc venue is real
With a dozen trees and more than 19,000 plants of 100 different species the rear façade of Hall 8 at Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuïc venue has become the first vertical forest with suspended trees in Barcelona.
Inaugurated today, the vertical forest located on the , located on Avinguda Francesc i Guàrdia is a pioneering initiative of the “la Caixa” Foundation, in collaboration with the Barcelona City Council and Fira de Barcelona, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of CaixaForum Barcelona.
The 535 m2 complex is a new green space that is also a sustainable facility as it will consume rainwater and irrigation water through a system of 13 2,000-litre water tanks, that will store the water. The trees have been plabted on a 12-metre-high steel structure, covering the wall that was left exposed after the demolition of the La Pèrgola restaurant in 2014.
The General Manager of Fira de Barcelona, Constantí Serrallonga, said that “we value this action very positively because its innovative, unique and sustainable character fits perfectly with the venue’s characteristics and its future modernisation, and because it provides added value to the environment of Montjuïc and its link with the city.”
Sustainability and the improvement of biodiversity mark the design of the vertical forest, which has native plants and others adapted to the Mediterranean climate, as well as nine species of trees, planted in planters that allow their roots to be seen in a totally unprecedented initiative.