Plans for Esplanade “living wall” of plants, bird boxes and floral artwork

A PROMINENT Esplanade office block is set for a radical green makeover, with plans unveiled this week for a towering “living wall” of plants, bird boxes and illuminated floral artwork in the heart of Jersey’s finance district.

Planning permission is being sought for the refurbishment and redevelopment of 171⁄2–18 Esplanade and 30–32 Commercial Street in St Helier.

If approved, the current aluminium cladding on the front of the building would be replaced by a living wall system with bird boxes on the southern elevation, alongside an internal green wall, and a sixth-storey of office accommodation.

“The green wall has been carefully designed with plant species selected to thrive in the site’s microclimate, creating both an ecological and aesthetic asset,” according to the application.

The application states that the wall would create new habitats for insects and pollinators, improve air quality, reduce noise, retain rainwater, and provide “psychological and wellbeing benefits through visible greenery in the public realm”.

An additional sixth storey of office floorspace would also be added to the building, but this would be “set back to reduce visual impact”, according to the plans.

The redevelopment aims to retain and upgrade the existing structure where feasible.

“Where demolition is necessary, it is justified by the poor condition of the existing building fabric, including water ingress, façade deterioration, corrosion, and the presence of asbestos,” the application states.

As part of the percentage-for-art scheme, which requires large developments to contribute around 1% of construction costs towards public art, metal panels with cut-out flower and leaf embellishments will be created and lit up at night to project floral silhouettes across the building’s entrance.

Architect firm Axis Mason, which submitted the application on behalf of GREL (17.5 Esplanade) Limited, said that the “project will reimagine one of the Esplanade’s most recognisable office buildings” and transform it into a “modern, efficient, and environmentally responsible workplace”.

Axis Mason added: ‘The scheme places sustainability at its core – prioritising low-carbon construction, energy efficiency, and occupant wellbeing in full alignment with the Bridging Island Plan and St Helier Design Guide.”

The application comes after the property changed hands earlier this year.

The Property was acquired from the Channel Islands Property Fund in an off-market deal on confidential terms.

Announcing the acquisition in March of this year, chartered surveyor David Moore, of Moore Development Management, which handled the transaction, said: “Whilst the fortunes of the office sector have been mixed in the UK generally, the dynamics of the Jersey market make it a favourable investment location insofar as occupational demand remains strong with very few people working from home and take-up levels remaining consistent year-on-year.

“On the supply side there is an acute shortage of space as a result of an absence of any speculative development since 2018. This imbalance between demand and supply will result in strong rental growth in good quality second generation buildings over the next 12 months which is what my client is looking to deliver to the market.”

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