One of Swansea city centre’s most well-known buildings could get a fresh new look – with three tall green walls.
The Dragon Hotel and Swansea Council hope to get planning permission to create the living walls on three sides of the prominent Kingsway Circle building. They will reach up to six storeys.
Designers working on the project have submitted a pre-application submission to Swansea planners.
They say the walls will feature plants such as boxwood, wallflower, honeysuckle and wisteria. A maintenance plan would be put in place.
Swansea Council has worked with the Dragon to secure Welsh Government funding for the new additions which would complement large amounts of other greenery being introduced around the city centre.
Dragon general manager Leigh Martin said:
We’re excited to take this first big step towards introducing these living walls. If planning permission is granted, they living walls will be seen by tens of thousands of people every week and will help Swansea in its ambition to have a green city centre for the benefit of future generations.”
The Dragon – with more than 100 rooms – also plans to replace dated bedroom windows as part of a wider improvement scheme funded solely by the business. This will improve the appearance of the hotel and boost its energy efficiency.
The council, which is driving a £1bn city centre regeneration, secured the grant funding for the Dragon project through the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme.
Other projects benefiting in a similar way include a green roof at Coastal Housing’s High Street Urban Village, green-roof bin shelters for Swansea Business Improvement District (BID) and a green wall for Coastal on the Potters Wheel building on The Kingsway.
Other greenery that has been introduced into the city centre includes hundreds of new trees in and around The Kingsway and a high-profile new park next to the new Swansea Arena.
More greenery is planned as part of the council’s proposed new-look Castle Square Gardens and on a community services hub being created nearby in the former BHS building.
Council leader Rob Stewart said:
Swansea’s getting greener and that’s good news for residents, businesses and visitors. We’re restoring biodiversity and adapting to climate change.
“Our ongoing regeneration, that’s made significant progress through the pandemic, means that we’re leading Wales out of the pandemic.
“Our new-look city centre – complete with ever-improving green infrastructure – is already helping to attract hundreds of millions of pounds of private investment.”
More on the Dragon’s proposed living wall: www.bit.ly/DHgreenWall