The Smiley

PROBLEM:
Our discussions with the The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) created interest in our work on vertical greening and we were asked to use this approach on a public wall.

A suggestion for the site was a long wall at a busy traffic intersection, a blank wall, one which many motorists going to work in mumbai see on their way to work in south Mumbai.






The regular flow of traffic creates smog and dust, and is not an easy space for growing certain species of plants. Besides this, the selected space directly faces the sea. In the pre-monsoon months, salinity increases, and plants that are not adapted to dealing with sea facing conditions sustain heavy damage.

SOLUTION:
Our plant list for this vertical garden consisted of plants that not only were salt tolerant, but that could handle the movement of traffic around them. Additionally, we used plants that are known air filtration plants, especially suited to removal of benzene, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, the most common pollutants that are found where there is regular movement of cars.




The design we came up with was a personal touch, and idea to create a point of interest for motorists. As is, many of the people driving past this intersection drive through hours of traffic to get to the traffic signal. The designing of a 'smiley' was to give them a bit of happy before they got to their workplace.






Client: Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM)
Location: Lovegrove Complex, Worli, Mumbai, India
Date: 2010
Link: www.mcgm.gov.in