Landscaping is just one of the ways we create beautiful environments for our customers at each of our McArthurGlen designer outlets. In recent years, we have collaborated with two incredible partners to further develop the use of planting in our centres – the French botanist Patrick Blanc, who designed a magnificent living wall at the main entrance of McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Provence, and British landscape design company, Biotecture, who created a masterful green wall for Phase II of Ashford Designer Outlet. For McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Paris-Giverny, we have decided to combine the expertise of both our partners to enhance the shopping experience of our guests.
Upon arrival at the entrance of our open-air designer outlet, visitors will be immersed in a world of greenery; the centre has a footprint of only 35% on the 10 hectares of land it is built on, with the remaining 65% left natural and free of any construction.
Whichever entrance you use to start your shopping journey, you will be able to enjoy the magnificent living walls imagined by Patrick Blanc. Two major spaces have been specially designed by the internationally renowned botanist: the east entrance wall, which serves our electric parking area equipped with 120 charging terminals, and the 1,000 sq m walls of the central ellipse, which will be entirely covered with plants.
This living wall will augment the impressive windows of the central area of the centre, with vegetation dressing the 90m long and 11m high wall space for a full immersion in nature.
Introducing these living walls at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Paris-Giverny, in addition to our 20,000 sq m of green roofs, is not just for design purposes. No other cladding material can provide the following combined benefits:
• Removal of air pollutants
• Reduction of urban temperatures
• Thermal benefits to buildings
• Improved biodiversity
• Rain water drainage
• Reduction of noise
• Mental health benefits, including an improved sense of well-being
One Central Park, Sydney | Patrick Blanc
Le Nouvel, Kuala Lumpur | Patrick Blanc
Athenaeum Hotel, London | Patrick Blanc
McArthurGlen Provence, Miramas | Patrick Blanc
CapitaLand Office, Singapore | Patrick Blanc
One Central Park, Sydney | Patrick Blanc
Le Nouvel, Kuala Lumpur | Patrick Blanc
Athenaeum Hotel, London | Patrick Blanc
McArthurGlen Provence, Miramas | Patrick Blanc
CapitaLand Office, Singapore | Patrick Blanc
A French botanist and inventor of the living wall concept, the reputation of Patrick Blanc is well-established and his creations are located all over the world. From the rue d'Aboukir in Paris, or One Central Park in Sydney to Le Nouvel in Kuala Lumpur, Blanc’s achievements, each more spectacular than the last, awaken the senses of all who visit them. We had the opportunity to partner with him back in 2017 on the living wall at the entrance of McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Provence, and it is an honour that he has once again agreed to work with us on this even larger project at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Paris-Giverny.
Quote from Patrick Blanc:
“Biotecture uses a different technique than I do, utilising potted plants where I usually work my creations onto felt, so this is something new for me and very interesting! I began creating a very diversified visual patchwork to create the designs I had imagined for each wall, taking into account Biotecture’s system of having 60 ‘cells’ per square metre, which included forty varieties of plants.”
McArthurGlen, Ashford | Biotecture
Wimbledon Court Number 1 | Biotecture
McArthurGlen, Ashford | Biotecture
Wimbledon Court Number 1 | Biotecture
Their design and project management team have been working closely with us to ensure the living walls are seamlessly integrated into the design of the centre. This has included careful layout of the living wall panels to compliment the gently curved facades and curved window openings.
A crucial part of the design process for the living wall was the planting selection and planting design. Patrick Blanc has chosen the plant palette for the project, picking 40 different species including flowering plants such as Erysium, Lavandula, and Jasminum to create an impressive seasonal display across the living wall.
Each 600 mm x 450 mm BioPanel includes 16 plants, allowing Biotecture to pack in 60 plants per square metre. Their design team have translated Patrick Blanc’s concept into a planting diagram which is carefully followed by our nursery and install teams to bring the concept to life. Biotecture’s hydroponic living walls are ‘pre-grown’ into their patented BioPanel modular panels at their dedicated nursery facility, where they have over 3,000 sq m of purpose-built vertical racks.
Their nursery team is currently busy planting the over 1,000 sq m of BioPanel for the project in phases, and the full-time team of horticulturists will nurture the plants until they are ready to be installed later in the year.
Quote from Richard Sabin, Biotecture’s Managing Director:
“It’s a pleasure to be working on another amazing project with McArthurGlen. They are a visionary client and share our ambition to make the world a greener place! We have been working on the project since October 2021 and we are enjoying collaborating with the design and construction teams as well as the living wall pioneer Patrick Blanc. I’m excited to see installation start onsite.”
Learn more about Patrick Blanc: https://www.murvegetalpatrickblanc.com/
Find out more about Biotecture: https://www.biotecture.uk.com/
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