Exterior living wall
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Museum of The Future
Can you create a hill by wrapping a building in green? This project proved that nearly anything is possible with the Viritopia living wall system.
BACKGROUND
The concept behind Dubai’s most iconic project
Where most museums are windows to the past, the Museum of the Future was designed as a gateway to humanity’s next chapter, with exhibits set decades into the future. The project’s unique concept demanded an equally innovative design to set the tone and help it stand out from an expanding fabric of impressive architecture across Dubai.
Architects on the project designed an illusion of a steel sculpture resting lightly on a steep green hill. The showpiece building featured windows in the shapes of Arabic calligraphy, forming a poem. The hill was meant to represent the earth rising up to meet the structure and to provide a contrast from the surrounding urban environment.
Within the “hill” would be the Museum’s lobby, auditorium, parking, and other parts of the building. It needed to conceal the lower part of the building in what looked like a natural mound — and flourish in the extreme climate without visible sprinklers or significant water.
The Viritopia living wall system was chosen as the best green wall for the arid climate and unique aesthetic goals because the soil-based modules:
- Retain moisture (requiring less water)
- Integrate the irrigation system with the foliage (hiding it from view)
- Can accommodate steep curves and challenging angles
- Allow us to pregrow the plants, so they’re full and dense when installed
“The data, technology, innovation, and circumstances surrounding the project all pointed to the need for a feature to enhance the surrounding environment with a fitting bravura. The search for implementing a grand sustainable feature to match the architecture was met perfectly with the Viritopia Living Wall System.”
Construction UK Magazine
STRATEGY
Using living wall technology in a new way
With the hill’s steep banks and the windows and walkways cut into the side, the Museum of the Future’s green wall provided a welcome challenge for our engineers. They visited Dubai often to collaborate with the architects on drawings and models and to oversee progress on sections of the wall in person.
Getting the angles and curves of the subframe right required meticulous precision. Our consultants sorted out the details, such as:
- Where the hanging rails would go
- The layout of the bracketry
- How each module would interlock
- Irrigation pipework and programming
While the living wall was a critical element for this project, it wasn’t the only consideration. We also needed to blend the surrounding landscape seamlessly with the façade. We collaborated with our local partners, Desert Group, to develop the planting palettes and landscape design.
Together, we refined the substrate to fit the local climate and chose the ideal plant species for the wall. We selected just one species — Sesuvium portulacastrum (Sea Purslane) — for its drought resistance, salt tolerance, and “carpet-like” growth habit.
We shipped the modules and materials for the green wall to Dubai, and our partners grew the plants locally to help acclimatise them. With our guidance and consultation, Desert Group installed the living wall and helped Viritopia deliver on one of the most innovative landscaping projects in the United Arab Emirates.
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Our work on international projects
Viritopia’s network of local partners help us bring the Viritopia living wall system to more than 30 countries around the world.
How it works:
- Consulting: Our consultants collaborate with your team on drawings, models, and sustainability strategy to ensure the wall is designed for performance and longevity.
- Materials: We ship our system to you, including our modules, irrigation pipes, and more.
- Planting: Plants are pregrown by our partners within our modules, so they’re established by the time of installation.
- Installation: We thoroughly train our local partners to install and maintain the façade to the Viritopia standard.
IMPACT
A glimpse into the future of living walls
Thanks in part to the Museum of the Future’s unique green wall, the project immediately captured international attention. We’re proud to share that the project achieved LEED Platinum certification (LEED’s highest rating), won awards, and has even been named one of the world’s most beautiful museums by National Geographic.
The Museum left its mark on our team as one of our most challenging and innovative living wall projects to date. It pushed the boundaries of what our modular system could achieve, teaching us how flexible our system can be and inviting us to envision what the future of living wall technology might hold.
- Wow factor This project delivered what it set out to achieve — a show-stopping visual effect.
- Oxygen production The foliage in the green wall produces 2,750 kg of oxygen per year for Dubai.
- Carbon extraction Plants help absorb carbon, supporting the project’s greater sustainability goals.
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Museum of The Future
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Dubai, UAE
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