Massive Vertical Greenery Installation Planned for Aquarium Site After Berlin Radisson Hotel Blast

The Radisson Collection Hotel near Alexanderplatz, which made international headlines last December due to a burst aquarium, is set to make a comeback with a striking new feature in its lobby. Union Investment Real Estate GmbH announced a new concept for the hotel lobby on Thursday, revealing plans for a 16-metre-high vertical garden.

The new installation, dubbed the "living tree", will replace the exploded aquarium as the central feature of the hotel lobby. It will cover around 120 square metres, reaching up to the sixth floor, and be arranged on 36 tree-like vertical slats.

Approximately 2,000 plants of 22 different species will adorn the vertical garden, providing a vibrant and lush atmosphere. The installation will also feature dramatic lighting that changes over the course of the day, creating a captivating visual experience for guests and visitors.

The concept for the replacement facility was developed, but there is currently no publicly available information about who specifically developed it. The installation is designed to make use of the remaining material from the exploded aquarium, specifically the 150-ton concrete base. By reusing the concrete base, high CO2 emissions from demolition, removal, and disposal have been avoided.

The indoor aquarium that once stood in the hotel lobby was 16-metres high and contained approximately 1,500 fish. The aquarium burst caused a flood of over a million litres of water into the hotel lobby and onto the street. The 90 tons of acrylic glass from the exploded tank is planned to be recycled by a certified waste disposal company this summer.

The Radisson Collection Hotel has been closed since the incident in December 2022. Union Investment has declined to make the cost of the lobby rebuild public. However, the hotel is expected to reopen at the end of the year, offering guests a refreshed and innovative interior design, headlined by the new vertical garden.

The investigation into the cause of the aquarium explosion was closed in October 2023 due to lack of a clear conclusion. Despite this, the hotel and its new vertical garden installation are set to make a strong statement about sustainability and innovation in the heart of Berlin.

Massive Vertical Greenery Installation Planned for Aquarium Site After Berlin Radisson Hotel Blast