Princes Square has incorporated live plants into its courtyard this summer to enhance the shopping and hospitality experience for guests.
Nestled in the heart of Glasgow’s shopping district, the mall markets itself as a ‘unique place to be’ and a destination for shopping and hospitality alike.
James Rennie, Tenant Liaison Manager, said “We are always looking at what we can do differently and thinking about what we can offer that you won’t get in other malls.”
Drawing on inspiration from 5-star hotels and London eateries such as Eataly and La Goccia, centre management set out to add greenery to the Glasgow building to encourage guests to relax and enjoy time while in the city, surrounded by nature.
James said: “With biophilic design being so popular we really wanted to bring the outdoors in and make the most of the beautiful courtyard area under our glass domed roof.
“We are in the middle of the city and in the last few years everyone has been really keen on spending much more time outside, so we felt it was important to bring in natural elements.”
Lex Kennedy, GP Plantscape’s interior landscaping manager, was asked to provide plant design ideas for the iconic courtyard space on the lower floor of the Grade B listed building.
The glass roof in the Buchanan Street building provides the perfect setting for the addition of tropical plants.
The final solution included five-meter Ficus trees in tall black pots, complemented by the addition of lower-level containers planted with bright orange, red and yellow Guzmania and peace lilies.
The tenant liaison manager said: “Lex was a great help with the design of the solution.
“The scale of the Ficus trees really helps to fill the space and it is nice to add some colour through tropical plants.”
As a unique, premium shopping centre, the management team at Princes Square have capitalised on their autonomy to make swift decisions and implement their vision for a more biophilic retail experience.
James said: “It’s really exciting to be able to work with local suppliers and bring it [vision] to life.”
He said that working with GP Plantscape has been ‘fantastic’.
“On the day, the team were very organised.
“All the smaller plants were potted and ready to go, and getting the bigger pieces into place was all wrapped up in about two hours.”
In recent months, Carvela and Dermalogica have opened stores in Princes Square and live music performances in the courtyard form part of the strategy to entice customers into the shopping and dining destination.
