Green wall transforms lounge area of Viehoff Group’s administrative building into a place of tranquility

As a family business based in Münster, the Viehoff Group has been connecting tradition and innovation for four generations. The 27 optical stores of the Viehoff Group are among the most profitable and successful individual opticians in the German-speaking region. In the spring of 2023, the group’s headquarters was redesigned with the aim of creating a unique, inspiring atmosphere for comfort and work. With a creative design concept by Krukenkamp Interiors, furniture, fabrics, plants, colors, lighting and a green wall now form distinctive unity.

Attractive focal point

The visual highlight of the lounge area is the plant wall. “We were delighted to be part of this unique project. The integration of plants in the design is something special. We chose the plant wall in the lounge area for its attractive appearance, but also for its positive impact on room acoustics and indoor air quality. The space is open, allowing the fresh air to circulate throughout the building,” says Max Gregg of Gärtner Gregg, who was responsible for the project’s execution.

The modular green wall

Gärtner Gregg has extensive experience in the construction and maintenance of plant walls and has been working successfully with Mobilane’s systems for many years. Therefore, Max Gregg chose the LivePanel plant wall: a patented, modular plant wall system with interchangeable, substrate-filled plant cassettes. LivePanel is a space-saving and lightweight system. “Since LivePanel is available in all sizes, we could precisely fit the plant wall into the space,” notes Max Gregg.

Easy installation and maintenance

In total, an area of 20 square meters was greened in this project. The system’s cassettes have indentations where the plants are placed. Gärtner Gregg opted for an attractive mix of various plants that suited the space well. Each row of cassettes was placed in a profile rail, which also serves as a water reservoir. Through capillary action, the plants self-supply water. The customer opted for manual watering of the plant wall: “The positions for adding water had to be planned in advance so that water could be added as easily as possible. Automatic watering would have been disproportionate in this format,” observes Max Gregg.

In the spotlight

Spotlights directed towards the wall enhance the dense and lush greenery. To ensure that employees and guests of the Viehoff Group can enjoy the plant wall continuously, the plant wall will be carefully maintained several times a year by Gärtner Gregg’s staff. “For wall maintenance, we have purchased a special ladder to ensure accessibility to all plants,” emphasizes Max Gregg. Regular pruning is necessary to keep the wall in a healthy and visually appealing condition.

• Project Management: Viehoff Group, Mr. Emmerich
• Planning: Krukenkamp Company, Münster
• Execution: Gärtner Gregg Company, Nordkirchen
• Plants: Dracaena surculosa, Monstera monkey mask, Philodendron imperial red, Scindapsus marble queen hanger, Scindapsus aureum hanger, Scindapsus neon, Chlorophytum henry, and Anthurium andreanum
• Installation Date: March 2023