Finland's largest outdoor green wall is being built in Turku Science Park, utilizing only rainwater for irrigation. The green wall, covering over 400 square meters, utilizes brand new irrigation technology. This rainwater-utilizing outdoor green wall represents a new type of urban design, aiming to increase the comfort of the area and find sustainable solutions for managing increasing amounts of rainwater.
Designed and built by InnoGreen, known for their green walls, the outdoor green wall will be erected in Turku Science Park at ICT-City, owned by Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt, with construction starting in the spring of 2025. The outdoor green wall uses only rainwater from the square for its irrigation. Finland's largest green wall is constructed from wood and is approximately 34 m wide and about 16 m high at its highest point. The surface area of the green wall is over 400 square meters. The completed wall can be seen for the first time at SHIFT Business Festival on May 22, 2025.
Utilizing rainwater for irrigation reduces the burden on the sewer network, prevents environmentally harmful substances collected in rainwater from reaching water bodies, and saves drinking water that would otherwise be used for irrigation.
The green wall utilizes new technology
Turun Tiedepuistoon Jussinaukiolle toteutettava viherseinä on Suomen ensimmäinen suuren kokoluokan ulkoviherseinä, joka kastellaan pelkästään sade- ja sulamisvedellä, eli hulevedellä. Uutta nyt rakennettavassa viherseinässä on massiivisen koon lisäksi myös se, että se yhdistetään terassialueeseen, johon rakennetaan vehreitä työskentelypisteitä kaupunkilaisille. Lisäksi viherseinään lisätään parveketilaa kiinteäksi osaksi viherseinää.
– Responsibility and innovation are at the core of Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt's values, so we are interested in ecologically sustainable solutions for enlivening urban space and increasing the value of buildings. We are developing the entire city district, not just the properties, so scalable and ecological solutions bring added value to the development of the area, says Olli Rosenberg, Property Director at Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt.
In the new green wall, InnoGreen is testing for the first time its recently developed irrigation technology, for which the company has applied for a patent. The green wall will utilize rainwater collected at Jussinaukio, which is gathered into an irrigation tank located under the deck structures. In the new technology, the irrigation system circulates water to the plants according to their needs. For the winter, the system is emptied and meltwater is collected in the tank for the next season, even while the plants are still overwintering.
In addition to InnoGreen and Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt, the project includes architect Joonas Parviainen and Studio MANA, structural designer Asko Keronen, HVAC designer Tero Lind, and Rakennustoimisto Lundén Oy.
The green wall is being studied as part of a new type of urban design
The green walls built by InnoGreen represent a new type of urban design where greenery is integrated into existing buildings and structures. The ecosystem services produced by green walls will be studied regarding aspects such as comfort, urban biodiversity, rainwater management, and the cooling effect on urban space.
In previous studies, it has already been observed that green structures are a potential solution for managing and cleaning rainwater. For example, InnoGreen has studied the ability of green walls to remove microplastics from rainwater.
– The possibilities of using rainwater for irrigating green walls have not yet been widely studied. We at InnoGreen see that from the perspective of sustainable urban development, it is sensible to utilize existing resources in plant irrigation. In addition, green walls also provide a platform for delaying rainwater in cities filled with hard surfaces, says Mikko Sonninen, CEO of InnoGreen.
More information:
Nora Tåg
Communications, InnoGreen
nora.tag@innogreen.fi
Olli Rosenberg
Property Director, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt Oy
olli.rosenberg@teknologiakiinteistot.fi
Tel. 0400 288 725
InnoGreen
InnoGreen (Green House Effect Oy) is a green service company founded in 2010. Natural values and responsibility have strongly guided InnoGreen's operations and product development since its inception. InnoGreen is constantly developing new sustainable green products for the urban environment.
