'Tiger Wings’, KIA's new vertical garden, blends nature with infrastructure

Bengaluru: The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Thursday unveiled an innovative vertical garden, "Tiger Wings", at Terminal 2.

Designed by Patrick Blanc, a botanist affiliated with the French National Centre for Scientific Research, the garden is 30 feet high and 160 feet wide, featuring two walls 80 feet each.

The airport’s operator has said this is Blanc’s largest project in India, embodying T2’s vision of harmonising nature with infrastructure.

Botanist Patrick Blanc. DH PHOTO/BK Janardhan

“Tiger Wings” incorporates over 15,000 plants from 153 species, primarily native to Karnataka and the Western Ghats. The soilless garden, themed around India’s national animal, the tiger, includes asparagus plants and ixora flowers.

Blanc said, "Tiger Wings is the realisation of a dream where nature and architecture coexist seamlessly. Using specialised felt layers, we create an environment where plants thrive naturally. This project goes beyond enhancing the airport's aesthetic; it transforms the travel experience, revitalises the environment, and preserves the natural beauty that surrounds us."

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) pointed at the garden's efficient water use, featuring an advanced irrigation system that precisely delivers water through the felt layers. This sustainable approach mimics the way plants grow in natural cliff faces or rock crevices, where resources are minimal yet plants flourish.