Last updated: November 2021
Sihlcity, one of Switzerland's largest shopping malls, is located in the Wiedikon district of Zurich. It was built on the grounds of a former paper mill, Papierfabrik Sihl, near the Sihl River. The Green Wall of the Sihlcity car park is a striking feature of the development at a height of 23 meters and a width of 25.5 meters. The wall is an elegant aesthetic solution to the car park facade, keeps the car park cool during summer, provides insulation in the winter, sound insulation for the busy car park, and an effective deterrent to graffiti. [1]
Sihlcity Shopping Centre Living Facade
Sihlcity, retrieved 08/31/2018 from Corinne Wiederkehr
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green walls or facades
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Noise reduction
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Improving mental health
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: service sectors
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
The goals of the intervention were to [1]:
- provide sun cover in the summer to help keep the car park cool.
- reduce exposure to harsh temperatures due to climate change and lower indoor temperature and provide insulation.
- give an additional layer of insulation during the winter.
- give a level of sound insulation for the busy car park.
- be an effective deterrent to graffiti.
Implementation activities
The eastern facade of the parking garage, with a capacity of 850 cars, was equipped with a green wall planned by Jakob AG. Jakob designed the training systems in cooperation with planners from Raderschall, a Meilen-based landscape architecture firm, and implemented this facade greening task as a subcontractor. The scope of delivery included the planning and supply of the training systems but also their installation on site by experienced Jakob technicians. The relatively wide-meshed training structure, formed by vertical and horizontal ropes of various thicknesses, is suspended at a distance of 70 cm in front of the eight-story high sectional-glass lined eastern facade of the parking facility. This spacing was designed in order to provide sufficient growing space for the plants. [1]
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
In June 2003, the Co-owner Association signed a contract with Karl Steiner AG for the construction of Sihlcity. Their investments, which amount to a total volume of CHF 620 million, laid the foundation for the biggest private construction project in Switzerland to date. The Co-owner Association of Sihlcity comprises the listed company Swiss Prime Site and five real estate investment vehicles managed by Credit Suisse. Jakob Rope Systems designed the green facade in cooperation with planners from Raderschall, a Meilen-based landscape architecture firm, and implemented this facade greening task as a subcontractor. [1][4][5]
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Environmental quality
- Reduced noise exposure
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Safety
- Increased perception of safety
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved mental health
- Other
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
[1] Sihlcity Shopping Centre Living Facade (2018). The Green Roof and Green Wall Projects Database. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 3rd August, 2020.
[2] Sihl City Green Wall (2018). Jakob Rope Systems - MMA Architectural Systems. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 3rd August, 2020.
[3] Custom Designed Architectural Solutions with High Precision and Quality (2018). Jakob Rope Systems Online Catalogue. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 3rd August, 2020.
[5] Velazquez Linda (2018) Sihlcity Shopping Centre Living Facade. Greenroofs. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 3rd August, 2020.
[2] Sihl City Green Wall (2018). Jakob Rope Systems - MMA Architectural Systems. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 3rd August, 2020.
[3] Custom Designed Architectural Solutions with High Precision and Quality (2018). Jakob Rope Systems Online Catalogue. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 3rd August, 2020.
[5] Velazquez Linda (2018) Sihlcity Shopping Centre Living Facade. Greenroofs. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 3rd August, 2020.