Bengaluru airport’s Terminal 2 gets 4000 sq feet ‘Tiger Wall’ built with 15,000 plants across 153 local species | Bengaluru

Bengaluru airport’s terminal 2 got another attraction on Thursday: a new hydroponic green wall called ‘Tiger Wings’. Renowned botanist Patrick Blane worked on this 30-foot high and 160-foot wide wall, which features 153 species of native plants picked from local Bengaluru nurseries and western ghats.

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Speaking to PTI, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) chairman Sharat Marar said, “The Tiger Wings span 4,000 square feet and are home to over 15,000 plants across 153 species. Blane told me that when these 15,000 plants bloom in three months, they’ll resemble a stretched-out tiger on the wall. We all are waiting to see what Blane has created with his enormous experience of building hydroponic walls across the globe.”

Blane said that many fancy green walls depend on the Western species for a classic look without exploring the Indian options. He said, “ It’s a pity that we must choose from plants grown in tropical America, Africa and Southeast Asia. There is a need to nurture Indian species that can be grown in vertical gardens here, not many propagate them.”

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Blanc used specialised felt layers to create the soilless hydroponic wall garden. “Felt layers create an environment where plants thrive and it does not need any extra Maintenance. Nature will get the job done,” said Blanc. He also said that the Bengaluru airport project is his biggest one in India so far. Blanc also worked on similar projects, including the one at Singapore’s Changi Airport.

Blanc also said that the method he used for building the green wall is sustainable and enhances air quality in surroundings. He said, “This method is more sustainable and replicates how plants grow on natural cliff faces or rock walls, where water and nutrients are minimal, but plants thrive in crevices. This approach allows for a diverse array of plant species to coexist in a compact vertical space, creating a thriving ecosystem that enhances air quality and contributes to a cooler, more pleasant environment.”

(With PTI inputs)