It’s alive! New ‘living wall’ installed at Life Sciences building.

Bristol University has unveiled a new ‘living wall’ – a 40 foot vertical mural covered with thousands of plants and even a bat roost. The super-green creation fills one side of Bristol University’s £56million new Life Sciences building, and will show the stages of a cell undergoing mitosis as it flowers.

The wall will show a cell undergoing mitosis as it flowers. Photo: Rebeca Goncalves.

 The wall offsets the rest of the build, which so far has used a huge 22,000 tons of concrete and 1,000 tons of steel in making the enormous structure.

The wall contains 6,720 plants but instead of soil they are growing in a hydroponic soil-less system with essential nutrients and water provided by automatic drip irrigation. And although it is state-of-the-art it still needs to be pruned and weeded with a platform and pulley used by window cleaners.

The wall measures 41ft x 24ft and was five years in the making.

Gary Foster, professor of molecular plant pathology at the university, said: “From the outset, the occupants of the new building and the university wanted to make sure that the new facility was not just a bland building, but rather it clearly indicated the types of activities that went on inside.

“The amazing green wall, and two green roofs that will also be installed, certainly act as an advertisement for the exciting research and teaching that will go on in the new building, visible to everyone in the surrounding area and city.”

How the new bio-wall will fit into the finished building

The new building also features two green roofs with solar panels that together will save enough electricity to power 650 houses.