In a Nutshell
- Client: Commercial shopping mall
- Product Used: Garden of Eden Bespoke Vertical Garden
- Results: Achieved a biophilic entryway, low-maintenance decor, and a cohesive multi-floor greenery installation
Before Our Collaboration
Shopping malls remain one of the most visited commercial environments in the world. In the United States alone, millions of people pass through mall entrances every week, so the entrance experience is a critical first touchpoint for any centre looking to stay competitive.
This particular mall in Connecticut had strong architectural bones: high ceilings that opened across multiple floors, expansive windows that flooded the atrium with natural light, and premium timber panelling on the feature wall. But the space was not living up to its potential.
The management team knew the atrium was the right place to invest. As one of the primary pedestrian corridors and entryways to the centre, it was seen by virtually every visitor. What it needed was a design element that could match the calibre of what was already there, and do so without adding operational burden to an already busy facility team.
Designer Plants is proud to work with commercial clients across Australia and internationally. This project is one of several large-scale installations our team has supported globally, bringing the same quality and expertise we deliver to Australian offices, hospitality venues, and commercial showrooms to high-footfall retail environments on the other side of the world.
The problem
The challenge was an incomplete space. The mall’s atrium already featured quality finishes: warm timber panelling, multiple open floors visible from the ground level, and natural light pouring in through large windows. But on one side of the primary walkway, the wall offered nothing.
The initial instinct from the team was live greenery. A living wall along that surface would provide the visual contrast they were after and introduce a biophilic element that research consistently links to improved visitor experience and dwell time. However, the logistics quickly ruled it out.
The greenery would need to be positioned at height, and the maintenance burden on mall staff would be impractical. Watering, trimming, pest management, and seasonal replacement in a hard-to-reach commercial space is an ongoing cost that compounds quickly.
The team turned to artificial green walls as the solution and specifically looked for a product that could hold its own aesthetically against the architecture surrounding it. What they needed was something that looked like it belonged in that space.
During the Process
Large-scale commercial installations require a level of planning that goes well beyond a standard residential project. In an active mall environment, precision matters for aesthetics, safety, structural integrity, and minimising disruption to daily foot traffic.
Before installation began, the team conducted a full assessment of the designated wall sections. The client worked with professional installers, who mounted each panel group using a concealed framework specifically engineered to carry the panel weight while remaining invisible from the floor.
Our client chose our Garden of Eden Bespoke Vertical Garden because it carried the exact greenery specifications they asked for: density, lushness, richness, and variety in colour.
Professional installers working at height with a scissor lift were able to reach the upper sections of the atrium to finish the project. Our team deliberately designed the panel placement for visibility from multiple vantage points, so that visitors could view the greenery from directly in front, from above on upper floors, and from angles across the space.
The solution
The metal-backed, fire-tested construction of the Garden of Eden panel met the safety requirements for a commercial public space. Fire compliance is non-negotiable in Australian commercial builds, and the same standard applies to international projects of this nature.
All our fire-resistant panels are tested in accordance with both NFPA 701:2023 and Australian Standards AS/NZS 1530.3:1999, which means they’re suitable for use in shopping centres, hotels, airports, and other high-occupancy environments.
Here’s what this process looked like:
- Site assessment and panel calculation: Full measurement of all sections, accounting for architectural features, column positions, and multi-floor sightlines.
- Concealed framework installation: A support structure was mounted to each wall section to carry the panel weight and provide a secure, level base for installation.
- Panel mounting at height: Installers positioned and secured each panel, using the snap-and-lock system to connect panels across the full surface area.
- Alignment across all sections: Each installation was aligned to the existing architecture so that it looks consistent across every wall.
In the daytime, the abundant natural light bathes the atrium, while in the evenings, integrated hanging lights built into the lower panels cast a warm glow across the greenery and create an inviting ambiance to the entry corridor after dark.
After It’s Done
The once-stark wall surface now provides visual contrast to the panelling. None of the greenery comes with an ongoing maintenance bill, and the mall operations team has zero additional work to do.
The panels will continue to look exactly as they did on installation day, which is something that would be impossible to guarantee with a living wall system at this scale. This mirrors what we’ve seen across our other commercial projects, from the AiiMS Digital office fit-out to large-scale workplace transformations, with the zero-maintenance outcome consistently being the detail clients appreciate most.
Visit our showroom to view the Garden of Eden and our full range of commercial green wall panels in natural light before you commit.
Next Steps
This mall project is part of a growing body of commercial work that reflects a clear directional shift in how commercial spaces approach design. Globally, architects, developers, facility managers, and interior designers are recognising that biophilic elements are no longer a niche consideration but the standard expectation in well-designed commercial environments.
For our team, this project reinforces what we already know: that artificial green walls, when specified and installed correctly, deliver design impact at a scale and consistency that living plant systems cannot match in high-traffic, high-maintenance commercial settings.
Our focus for large-scale commercial work is on projects where greenery can do more than fill a wall, i.e., where it can reshape the visitor experience, reinforce the design intent of the architecture, and deliver a long-term result that requires nothing from the facilities team once it’s done.
If you’re working on a commercial fitout, a retail environment, a lobby, or a hospitality space in Australia, we’d like to hear about it. Our team works alongside architects, interior designers, and project managers from concept through to installation. If you’d like to explore whether it’s the right product for your space and layout, our design team offers a free consultation to help you get started.