Embassy Suites Chicago » GSky Plant Systems, Inc. -

OVERVIEW

The Embassy Suites Chicago Downtown is an urban retreat steps from Magnificent Mile shopping. The Green Wall was installed in the center of the hotels dramatic 11-story atrium. It replaced a waterfall that had been a staple at the hotel for years, but required some upgrading, so the property decided to do it even better and install a GSky Versa Wall! The 720 square foot Green Wall has an elegant flowing design to the nearly 4,000 plants on the wall. This direct quotation from the manager of the hotel immediately after it was installed says it all, “The wall looks fantastic. When you stand close to the wall, you can feel the fresh oxygen coming out. Is this just my imagination or is this really happening? I know that plants absorb CO2 and give-out O2 but it is very pronounced….at least it is to me.” Actually it does! The Versa Wall produces oxygen equivalent to that of 16 fourteen foot tall trees! GSky’s Green Walls are truly Green!

Location	600 North State Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States 60654
Client	Hilton Worldwide
Architect / Interior Designer	Gregory Randall, GREC Architects, Chicago, Ill.
Landscape Architect	None
Green Wall Designer(s)	Ambius Inc.
General Contractor	Bill Kroeger Bulley & Andrews LLC, Chicago, Ill.
Green Wall Contractor	Ambius Inc.
Grower	N/A
Maintenance Contractor	Ambius Inc.
Date Installed	May 2011
Product Type	Versa Wall System
Total Size	720 Sq Ft
Climate	Interior
Plants	Photos, Philodendron, Azaleas, Boston Fern, etc.

THE PROCESS The wall was installed over an existing waterfall feature at the hotel. The existing structure was covered in a granite that couldn't be removed without great cost, so a substrate was installed overtop of the granite and then the Versa Trays were mounted onto this substrate. A black aluminum trim was mounted around all edges to match the black granite of the waterfall so that the plants blended into the entire structure. The irrigation equipment is installed below the wall in the pump room directly below the atrium.

MAINTENANCE Maintenance occurs on a weekly basis at the property with all other interiorscape elements. With the small water fountain in front of the wall, it must first be shut off and then a A-frame ladder is used to access the wall. It does require getting feet wet though ;0)

LOCATION