The Belgian real estate developer Immobel has started the vertical greening of its Eden Tower. With a height of almost 100 metres and with 28 floors, the building, located in the European District of Frankfurt, Germany, is one of Germany’s highest leafy residential towers. Now that the facade structure has been completed, the tower is being adorned with its green attire of plants.

Some 200,000 plants will cover 20% of the facade, which is equivalent to two and a half times the building’s ground floor surface area. It is the first time that the vertical greening of the facade is being carried out. The procedure for greening the facade features 15 different plants, such as heartleaf Bergenia, Japanese sedge and blue bugle.

“With one of the highest green residential facades in Europe, Eden Tower sends a strong signal that cities are progressively moving towards a new paradigm. The greening of the facade will create a positive influence on the microclimate and contribute to the quality of life in the building and its surroundings,” says Muriel Sam, Head of Development at Immobel. “The future residents of the Eden Tower will enjoy a spectacular view from their balconies as well as a wonderful location on an island of nature in the very heart of Frankfurt.”

Rudi op ’t Roodt, Chief Technical Officer at Immobel, explains further: “The innovative concept of the green facade was a major challenge. Given the height of the building, we had to solve several issues such as noncombustibility safety, resistance to wind loads and the sustainability and self-sufficiency of the plants all year long. The launch of the works on the facade of the Eden Tower is today the result of an international sourcing effort which has brought together the best experts who are capable of making our concept a reality.”

Markus Frank, City Councillor and responsible for economic affairs of the City of Frankfurt, is very satisfied with the iconic architecture and the positive climate effect for Frankfurt. “Thanks to the vertical greening, there will be 2,000 square metres of new greenery at a site which previously only had a completely sealed-off ground floor area and a parking place,” he emphasizes. “This project sends a very strong message that our economy is successfully challenging climate changes with innovative solutions.”

The whole concept has had a very positive public and market response. Currently, 60% of the apartments are already sold, with additional reservations for 15%. One reason for this high demand so early in the marketing process is the political and economic stability and the dynamism of the Rhine-Main region, which is one of the strongest economic regions in Germany. Furthermore, the growth of the Frankfurt residential real estate market and the greening of the facade appear to be key factors. In particular, the planted facade is clearly a major stimulus for potential buyers, as are the urban location and the security of the investments.