Patrick Blanc was born on 3 June 1953 in Issy les Moulineaux. As a child, he was fascinated by aquariums and closely observed the behaviour of plants. In 1972, as a student of natural sciences and botany, he travelled to Thailand and Malaysia. He discovered the ability of certain plants to make do with little light. Since 1982 Patrick Blanc has been a researcher at the CNRS, specialising in tropical plants. In 1986, he created a plant wall at the Cité des Sciences de La Villette. In 1988 Patrick Blanc filed a patent for his plant walls. With the architect Jean Nouvel, Patrick Blanc has created plant façades for the Cartier Foundation and the Quai Branly Museum. On these plant walls, hundreds of different species intertwine in such a way as to maintain a harmonious aesthetic over the years. Patrick Blanc chooses common species, he "tries to play with contrasts, shades, textures and shine". His favourite plant, the iris japonica, has glossy, tapered leaves that catch the light well. On the island of Palawan, in the Philippines, Patrick Blanc discovered a new species of begonia, named in his honour Begonia blancii.

Main achievements of green walls:

• 1998, Cartier Foundation in Paris
• 2000, Genoa Aquarium
• 2001, Pershing Hall Hotel in Paris
• 2004, Administrative building of the Musée des Arts Premiers (Musée du Quai Branly)
• 2005, Halles d'Avignon
• 2007, CaixaForum, Madrid
• 2008, Natural History Museum, Toulouse
• 2008, Arche in Aix en Provence
• 2008, Torre de Cristal, Madrid
• 2012, Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus, Berlin
• 2013, L'oasis, rue d'Aboukir, Paris

Bibliography (selection) :

• 2002: Être plante à l'ombre des forêts tropicales, Éditions Nathan
• 2005: Le bonheur d'être plante, Éditions Maren Sell
• 2007: Folies végétales (exhibition, Paris), published by Chêne
• 2008: The Green Wall, from nature to the city, published by Michel Lafon

Biography of the Documentation de Radio-France, July 2014

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