Meyers Place Green Wall (Loop Bar)

Completed in 2018, the green wall covers 40m2 and is made up of 92 green wall panels. Each panel contains growing media and 12 plants. The root ball of each plant sits within the growing media and the foliage of the plant protrudes out from the surface of the panel. Plants were grown in the panels offsite for a number of months prior to installation to ensure maximum visual impact at the time of installation.

A remotely controlled fertigation system provides water and nutrients to the plants several times a day, and is varied depending on climatic conditions. The green wall uses recycled rainwater when available, and potable water at other times.

A scissor lift was used to construct the wall. First, metal frames were securely fixed to the building structure and covered with overlapping colourbond sheets. The green wall modules were then attached to this structure. Plant modules are specially designed to integrate with the irrigation system.

The vertical wall system also utilises a barrier that limits weed growth, protecting from future weeding maintenance. As the wall is north facing and surrounded by buildings on 3 of its sides, it is protected from harsh wind whiles still allowing for adequate light requirements and more successful plant establishment.

The total cost for this project was approximately $100,000.

Maintenance

Ongoing maintenance will be required to ensure the wall continues to look its best.

Maintenance for the green wall will include:

• monthly inspection of the drainage points and drip lines for the fertigation system to check and clean for debris and any other blockages in the draining system.
• inspection of controllers, gauges and valves in the fertigation system
• monitoring leaks and overflow from the drainage trays
• checking and replenishing fertiliser quantity levels
• regular inspection of the panels for structural issues or damage
• inspection of growing media to ensure good water volume
• pest and disease management
• monitoring plant growth and health, removing and replacing as required
• pruning plants to maintain form.

Meyers Place is a publicly accessible laneway located between Bourke and Little Collins StreetsOpens in new tab at the Spring Street end of the Melbourne CBD. The green wall is a prominent feature in this lush green laneway.

Visitors might wish to relax at the local hospitality offerings in the laneway and admire the other laneway greenery and wall mural near to Bourke Street by Melbourne street artist Makatron, delivered through the City of Melbourne's Green Your Laneway pilot project.

This is a timelapse video that shows footage of the construction on the side of a building of a wall covered in greenery.

Show workers preparing the wall and then adding the plants. The end of the video shows a before and after with the wall covered in plants.

Image on screen at end is the City of Melbourne and the LOOP logos.