Camden New Journal - News: Will Guardian roof be green enough?

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Camden New Journal - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 15 November 2007

Will Guardian roof be green enough?

THE Guardian newspaper was embroiled in a row this week over the so-called “environmental” quality of the planned roof of its new seven-storey building in King’s Cross.
All new office blocks in the capital are being encouraged by the environmental lobby to provide a green roof – one with grass and/or plants.
But activists in King’s Cross fear that the newspaper’s roof at the new offices – Kings Place, being built in York Way – will simply not be green enough.
Developers are planning to create a sedum roof, which contains hardy plants and moss, which some environmentalists describe as “bland, cheap and low maintenance,” at the top of the building.
Lisa Tang from nearby Thornhill Bridge Community Gardens said: “Sedum roofs are often visually dull because they contains little in the way of interesting vegetation such as wild flowers.
“It has little biodiversity value and normally you can’t walk or sit out on a sedum roof.”
The sedum roof is going up in spring or summer next year and the newspaper will be moving from its old Farringdon offices to Kings Place next October.
A Guardian spokeswoman said: “We would rather not get into a debate about just how green this roof will be.”
A spokesman for Kings Place developer, Parabola Land said: “A sedum roof is a perfectly normal green roof and is widely used both here and in Europe.”

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