Europe in Bloom: a living façade at the European Environment Agency

The EEA living façade will illustrate the significance of vertical gardens as urban green areas. These areas represent a backbone for human health, biodiversity and ecosystem services in cities. Despite being highly artificial, urban areas can, by intelligent design, offer additional habitats, maintaining ecosystem services and thus limit the ecological footprint of cities.

This will be the first outside living façade project in Denmark, made possible by intensive co-operation between architect Johanna Roßbach, LIFE - Faculty of Life Sciences - University of Copenhagen, the municipality and engineers from Ramboll Denmark and Green Fortune - a Danish company specialised in the construction of living walls.

In addition to the inauguration of the façade, the Agency will host a seminar called "Citizens meet Science". It will focus on the importance of citizens' active part in preserving biodiversity. The EEA will also launch new biodiversity success stories as part of its online "Environmental Atlas for Europe" and host the photo exhibition "Living green" by Mattias Klum – a National Geographic photographer.

Program

11.00 – 12.30 European Biodiversity seminar – citizens meet science (limited attendance)

To register, please send an email to biodiversityday@eea.europa.eu indicating the number and names of participants.

• Welcome - Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director, EEA
• European Candidate country perspective: Ambassador Asaf Ademi, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
• Opening - Henrik Nordbrandt, Danish poet and author
• Panel discussions:

We are losing biodiversity in Europe: can we stop it or do we need to adapt?  What are the right targets and how do we measure progress? Enthusiasts are observing biodiversity - how can their knowledge best be used? (Moderated panel discussion by Jacquie McGlade EEA Executive Director, brief statements followed by interaction with the audience)

- Johannes Vogel, Keeper of Botany Natural History Museum

- Jan Kappel, European Anglers' Alliance, Brussels

- Nicolas Perritaz, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, Switzerland, National Focal Point for EEA in Switzerland

- Pat Wolseley, Botany Research NHM

- Liz Hosken, Gaia Foundation

Citizens are interested in participating in science and the role that it plays in everyday life. How can their views be integrated to achieve a broader view of nature and society? (Moderated panel discussion by Ronan Uhel EEA Head of Natural Systems and Vulnerability Programme, brief statements followed by interaction with the audience)

- Frans N. Stokman, Scientific Director DECIDE, Groningen, The Netherlands

- Robert Kenward, Science Supervisor, TESS, UK

- Steen Rasmussen, Fundamental Living Technology (FLinT),University of Southern Denmark

- Johannes Kollmann, Department of Agriculture and Ecology, University of Copenhagen

- Lars Klüver, Danish Board of Technology, World Wide Views on Global Warming

• Presentation of the Mattias Klum photo exhibition Living Green (video statement)
• Launch of new Environmental Atlas for Europe stories by Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director, EEA

12.30 – 13.00 Light meal for seminar participants

13.00 – 15.00 Living Façade inauguration ceremony 

• "Ribbon cutting" by Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director, EEA

• Partners present the project and answer questions from the audience: Johanna Roßbach (Architect), Johannes Kollmann (Department of Agriculture and Ecology, University of Copenhagen), Lars Birck (Faculty of Life Sciences, Horticultural Gardens, University of Copenhagen), Ramboll Group A/S, Green Fortune ApS.

• Following the inauguration ceremony, the duo Jensen-Georges will perform “Sound Seeds” 

  Jensen-Georges creates music from bass clarinet, voice and recycled computer sounds. In fact, when used in Sound Seeds, ordinary sounds are transformed into a completely new concept. Sound Seeds represents sonic biodiversity in a range of forms - from voice, bamboo, wood and metal to digital processing. In its music Jensen-Georges recreates the full life-cycle of a plant - from seeds to blossom, the explosions and rhythmic forces of nature on Earth and the coming of new animal life. 

  Laurent Saxi Georges - Bass clarinet - Kristoffer Jensen - Recycled computer sounds - with Special Guest - Ole Bundgaard - Voice 

• Organic drinks will be offered and EEA material and seed bags will be available.

Become a "facebook friend" of the EEA Living Façade and invite your family and friends: EEA living façade facebook group. 

Contact: 

About the green facade: Anna.Gasquet@eea.europa.eu

Program details and seminar: Karla.Acosta@eea.europa.eu