The recent Flowers4Art event, organised by Helga Piaget of Passion Sea, highlighted the powerful ability of vertical gardens to transform urban spaces and bring themes of nature and greenery into city living. Prince Albert II was among the guests at the showcase in late November, alongside renowned French botanist Patrick Blanc, the man who invented the green wall concept in the 1980s.
On 30th November, Prince Albert was the guest of honour at Passion Sea’s latest sustainability-focused event, Flowers4Art, hosted at the Hôtel Métropole from 28th November to 1st December.
Spearheaded by Helga Piaget, the founder of Passion Sea, the event sought to highlight the incredible potential and impact of integrating plants and vertical gardens into urban environments, while also exploring innovative and sustainable solutions for creating and maintaining so-called living green walls.
Prince Albert toured the various displays in the company of French botanist Patrick Blanc, who is credited with creating the modern vertical hydroponics garden in 1986. Blanc later gave a talk discussing the global potential for vertical gardens and eco-friendly building practices, adaptable to all climates and regions.
The Prince, meanwhile, commended Piaget and the Passion Sea team for their dedication to promoting sustainable development initiatives and programmes.
The event featured seven pioneering projects linked to the integration of greenery into urban architecture. Among the standout presentations was that of Respyre, a Dutch system that combines concrete and moss to create sustainable vertical gardens, as well as Monaco’s Dilectus Design display, which presented ‘Abaco,’ a modular green panel system for ecological facades.
Other intriguing concepts included Italian architect Maria Burgos’ MOFs, a solar-powered solution that reduces the water consumption needed to maintain urban green spaces.
French companies Bryoflor and Yves Grangier demonstrated innovative uses of living moss, while MoosMoos, a 2024 German Design Award winner, showcased bespoke moss walls and multicoloured moss art. The Garden Club of Monaco also contributed with a floral creation depicting the Passion Sea logo.
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Interview: Helga Piaget, the founder of Passion Sea, on her vision for a cleaner planet
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Prince Albert II is pictured centre with Maria Bologna (centre left), Helga Piaget (centre right) and Patrick Blanc (to the right of Piaget)
Photo credit: Axel Bastello / Palais Princier de Monaco