Not just a green façade

Viennese nature grows in through the balcony door

Nature grows into Denis S.'s balcony.

(Bild: Bartel Gerhard)

Green façades are in vogue due to their many advantages. Nevertheless, they should be professionally installed and maintained, otherwise the apartment will also be greened bit by bit, as experience from a Viennese municipal building shows.

While the dispute over the EU renaturation law is deadlocked (we reported), tenant Denis S. has unexpectedly seen more green space come through his balcony door. For years, nature has been growing inexorably up the walls of the municipal building in which the Viennese lives. The vertical greening of façades and roofs is actually on the City of Vienna's climate roadmap. No wonder, as they have good properties, such as the fact that they naturally cool the living spaces behind them - and for free.

Insects come with the plants
However, this façade greening must also be professionally installed with its own panels, otherwise it may well harm the wall. And the tenants too. Just like Denis S. His apartment is also on the ground floor, so he gets a lot of the greenery. "I've been trying for a year to get the plants trimmed, especially the ones that grow into my balcony," he explains. Because the insects come with the plants.

Numerous calls to Wiener Wohnen have not helped, says Denis S. The façade remains green and is getting greener and greener. The "Krone" therefore made an inquiry to the local authority, and lo and behold: "We can inform you that a green cut has already been ordered," a spokesperson says. Much to Denis' delight, so that his balcony doesn't turn into a jungle.