Vertical greenhouse could be a reality in Stockholm

Swedish company Plantagon has signed an agreement with the municipality of Botkyrka, in the outskirts of Stockholm, to cooperate on the establishment of a first vertical greenhouse in Sweden. Sweco acts as the technical consultant on the project which has already generated great interest worldwide.

- This is an excellent opportunity to concretize our concept of greenhouses for large cities. We have traveled worldwide and had discussions with several cities interested in developing the concept, and it is a very pleasant surprise that we have now landed the discussions here in Stockholm, said Hans Hassle, president of Plantagon International.

Sweco has worked as a technical consultant with Plantagon to develop the concept and will continue to be involved in implementing the project. Eva Nygren, CEO of Sweco Sweden, says:

- Cooperating with Plantagon is exciting and challenging in many ways for our architects and engineers who are working to develop the technical solutions that the greenhouse needs. The urban greenhouse attracted interest when it was presented in the Swedish pavilion at World Expo in Shanghai last year and we look forward to continue working with the greenhouse in Botkyrka.

In 2011, a comprehensive analysis will be conducted on the conditions for the construction of the unique greenhouse in Botkyrka, and the aim is to start building it in 2012.

Today, 80 percent of the world's farmland is being utilized, and the global population continues to grow. Current farming methods will therefore not be sufficient to feed a growing population. In combination with more people migrating to cities, the demands on new forms of cultivation will be higher. To meet the challenge, Swedish company Plantagon, in cooperation with Sweco, has developed a vertical greenhouse for urban environments that enable organic farming.