Paddington’s First Living Wall Unveiled

A new 70m² green wall and sunken rain garden to reduce urban flooding in Paddington has been completed. Just around the corner from Paddington Station, the environmental installation looks over bustling Praed Street from the side of historic St Mary's Hospital, a prominent site in the community, which has seen the discovery of penicillin and pioneered the use of robotic surgery. Plants will climb the walls of the hospital's Winston Churchill building with the sunken rain garden alongside.

Standing 12m tall, the wall is packed with six different seasonal plant species from blooming Geranium Rozanne and climbing jasmine to natural ivy. The plants have been specially chosen to ensure the wall is in bloom all year round and acts as a welcoming home for birds, butterflies and bees. Next to the wall the 24m² sunken rain garden will gather water which over time will grow more greenery to form a striking feature for passers by.

Mark Roth, Chairman of PaddingtonNow and General Manager at Hilton London Paddington, said; "Green infrastructure transforms the aesthetics of an area and we feel this is key to improving the Paddington welcome. We are committed to improving Paddington for visitors and have already made great headway with the restoration of Sussex Gardens and decorative greenery across the district. The new installation will be a stunning feature with the added benefit of long-term environmental sustainability for the area."

Jill Blowers, property manager for St Mary's Hospital, said, "This project has been a fabulous example of collaboration between various partners for the benefit of the community. I can't help but feel excited about the benefit that our patients, staff, and visitors will feel from the livening up of our estates and I look forward to seeing it flourish."

The living wall and rain garden are the result of the completion of a Green Infrastructure Audit by PaddingtonNow, the Business Improvement District which represents over 350 businesses in the area to the East, South and West of Paddington Station. The wall's unique design enables it to capture rainwater in dedicated storage tanks. Water collected by the tanks is channelled slowly through the wall, nourishing plant life and helping to reduce the risk of surface water flooding in the area by storing over 120 gallons of water at any time. Installed by Treebox, the wall will also improve air quality in the area as the vegetation can trap microscopic pollutants, high levels of which have been shown to cause respiratory illnesses.

Cllr Heather Acton, Westminster City Council cabinet member for sustainability, said, "Great strides have been made in recent years to make Paddington a greener place, and this new green wall is a spectacular addition to the local area. Westminster City Council has worked closely with PaddingtonNow to achieve public realm improvements and green infrastructure projects that not only make Paddington a more pleasant place to live, work and visit, but also a healthier one – promoting sustainability, increasing biodiversity and improving air quality. We look forward to continuing this important work together."

According to the Environment Agency one in four properties in London are at risk of flooding, and flood risk is high in Paddington during periods of heavy rain due to the concentration of buildings and low absorbency of urban surfaces. The project has received a £9,000 grant from the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, through his Drain London programme.