World’s Largest Vertical Garden is in Colombia

In Rosales, a neighborhood in the north of Bogota, Colombia’s capital, there is a building that is not common at all. Indeed, on its facade, the building holds the largest vertical garden in the world.

This natural decoration has held the record since 2016. The vertical garden covers a surface of 3,100 square meters and dethroned the previous holder, the Clearpoint Residencies at Colombo, Sri Lanka which covers a mere 1,086 square meters. 

This is a curious record, but the world’s largest vertical garden is full of positive effects for its residents and Bogota itself. 

More than 115,000 plants from 10 different species were needed to build the record-holding garden. This was especially challenging given that the plants had to be able to deal with Bogota’s particular weather conditions, which are unlike those of any other place in Colombia. 

This facade was meant to represent Colombia’s biodiversity, and to create it took more than a year of planning. The construction of the world’s largest vertical garden took a whole 6 months. Hundreds of professionals used their talents and hard work to create this natural wonder. 

Currently, neighbors and tourists walking in front of the building that holds the world’s largest vertical garden feel as if they are in front of a landscape similar to a forest or jungle.

Why is the world’s largest vertical garden so important for Bogotá and Colombia?

Securing a Guinness World Record is significant. However, designing a garden that can provide multiple benefits to those who use the building as a base and to all the inhabitants of Bogotá is even more important.

Thanks to its dimensions and excellent state of conservation, the Santalaia building facade can:

• Produce Oxygen: Generate the oxygen needed by 3,100 people each year.
• Filter Harmful Gases: Filter over 2,000 tons of harmful gases.
• Process Heavy Metals: Process 775 kilograms of heavy metals.
• Dust Containment: Hold over 400 kilograms of dust.
• Water Utilization: Use the building’s greywater as a water resource.
• Temperature Regulation: Regulate the building’s temperature, which can reduce the expenses produced by its heating and/or air conditioning systems.