On the busy ‘Zuidas’ – the business district in Amsterdam – the FOZ Building is a coveted and exclusive office building. The entrance to this office building is an impressive space of 144 m² with ceilings of 7 meters high. However, it was lacking a warm and welcoming atmosphere for doing business over a cup of coffee or for informal meetings between colleagues. Commissioned by Patrizia, architect D/Dock transformed the chilly space into a green oasis with an inviting appearance by applying lush green living walls and wooden elements.
Green walls promote well-being and create a green oasis
Contrary to what is customary in concrete urbanized areas, the walls of the FOZ entrance are covered with plants. The use of various SemperGreenwalls with a total surface area of almost 100 m² has created a green oasis in an otherwise noisy entrance. The living walls are not only beautiful, they absorb ambient noise and have a proven positive effect on people’s mental well-being. For planting, three plant species were chosen: the Philodendron scandens (70%) was used as the basis, with the Marantha (15%) and Ficus repens (15%) providing color accents.
Photo courtesy of: Adam van Noort