In the pursuit of environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible space, these rooftop gardens showcase going green in an urban jungle.
1. Brooklyn Grange – New York City
Located atop a six story 1919 warehouse, this rooftop farm in Brooklyn is an oasis surrounded by greenery. The passion for farm-to-table food led to a farming team with roots in the restaurant business, as well as keeping chickens and beehives. Many events and educational programs on urban farming are also hosted here.
2. Waldspirale – Darmstadt
Somewhat ‘Willy Wonka’, this German residential apartment building is known for hosting as many trees as there are occupants. This large spiralled building is topped with an incredible forest – brimming with beech, maple, and lime trees and was created by the artist and architect Hundertwasser, known for designing many buildings throughout Austria and Germany, who believes that straight lines are the “devils tools”.
3. Namba Parks – Osaka
This is not your stereotypical shopping mall! Built in the footprint of the old Osaka baseball stadium, it has been redeveloped into a rooftop garden that spans several city blocks and features tree groves, cliffs, canyons, rock formations, lawns, streams, waterfalls, ponds, and even space to grow vegetables and herbs.
4. The Roof Gardens – London
The British love their gardens and this Kensington oasis from the hustle and bustle of London is home to three very different, beautifully curated gardens, with free access to the public to explore (used also for exclusive events).
You’ll immediately feel transported to a Spanish haven in The Spanish Garden, made up of colourful plants and flowers, as well as Mediterranean trees all laid out from garden designs of 1938.
The Tudor Garden will take you to another age, with the use of red bricks walls and Tudor style arches with plantings recognised in Tudor England.
The English Woodland Garden bursts with colour when bluebells, snowdrops, muscari and crocus bloom. Some of the trees in this garden are over 75 years old, including Mulberry Trees and Japanese Maples and also where you’ll find an array of birds, including resident flamingos!
5. Gardens by the Bay – Singapore
So it may not be a rooftop garden, but this special horticultural park offers some unique above ground viewing perspectives including the aerial walkway connecting the ‘Supertrees’ or tree like structures (which also serve as exotic vertical gardens), plus the Cloud Forest, shrouded in mist is the world’s highest indoor waterfall. Visitors take an elevator to the edge of the falls before descending via walkways through nine zones of tropical habitat.
6. Chicago City Hall – Chicago
Sitting atop City Hall, this Chicago roof garden was created in 2000. Championing the green cause, the garden was conceived as a demonstration project to raise awareness of the benefits of the green roofs and the affect on temperature and air quality. The garden consists of 20,000 plants of more than 150 species, including shrubs, vines and two trees.
7. Kaiser Rooftop Garden – Oakland
This three-acre roof garden was the world’s largest when it opened in 1960 and thus set the stage for green roofs, inspiring a proliferation of roof gardens across the planet.
The garden is actually considered a public park, though privately owned and maintained. There are 42 different specimens of trees including olive, holly oak and Japanese maple and a variety of shrubs and bushes including camellias and roses and a lovely pond and fountain. During the summer and early fall, there are free concerts held on the roof every Friday afternoon and the space is often used for weddings and events.
8. Highline – New York City
What to do with an old and abandoned rail track? Turn it to a garden. Technically not a rooftop garden but an elevated public park, this worthy mention has become one of Manhattan’s most popular New York attractions with lovely wildflowers, greenery and plantings, offering walkers some of the best views in NYC and a place of relaxation.