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The City of London has received a planning submission for a 382-key five-star hotel that comes with a unique feature—Europe's largest living wall. Designed by Sheppard Robson for Dominvs Group, Citicape House would occupy a slice of prime real estate on Holborn Viaduct and serve as the gateway to the City's "Cultural Mile."
The proposed development integrates a 40,000-square-foot living wall into its facade, posing poignant questions about the built environment's relationship with pollution and climate change, while also having the practical benefit of capturing over eight tonnes of carbon every year. It is estimated that the greenery fixed to the structure would produce six tonnes of oxygen annually and lower local temperatures by three to five degrees celsius.
A rooftop viewing gallery open to the public will offer a new vantage point of St. Paul's Cathedral and the changing urban fabric of London. This 11th floor space is also wrapped in vegetation and is consciously designed for threatened native wildflower species to flourish.
"On a site that is so prominent, there was a real drive to inject some fresh perspectives on how to grapple with some on London's most urgent environmental issues, including air quality and noise and dust pollution," said Dan Burr, Partner at Sheppard Robson. "Rather than having an isolated patch of greenery, we felt that an immersive and integrated approach would have the biggest impact on the local environmental conditions and making a better and more liveable city, as well as articulating a clear architectural statement."
Plans for Citicape House call for 40,000 square feet of workspace, a sky bar on the tenth floor, meeting spaces, a spa, and a ground-level restaurant.
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