Architecture of Many Intelligences” by ArchDaily, image/information source: ArchDaily
The Algae Bioplastic Façade Panels installed in Dublin in November 2018 showcase how architecture can operate as a living air-cleaning system rather than a static shell.
Context and Installation
In 2018, ecoLogicStudio suspended a large photosynthetic “urban curtain” over the Printworks building at Dublin Castle during the Climate Innovation Summit. The installation, sometimes referred to as Photo.Synth.Etica, consisted of 16 hanging façade panels documented in detail by architectural photography studio NAARO.
Design of the Bioplastic Panels
Each panel is a tall, flexible bioplastic membrane, approximately 2 m wide and 7 m high, welded to form a network of serpentine channels. These channels are filled with a water–microalgae suspension, turning the façade into a vertical photobioreactor that is lightweight, translucent, and easily deployable on existing structures.
How the System Works
Unfiltered urban air is drawn in mechanically at the bottom of the curtain and bubbled through the liquid medium inside the channels. As the air rises, microalgae capture carbon dioxide and certain pollutants via photosynthesis, while oxygen-enriched air is released back into the surrounding environment near the top of each panel. The algae grow rapidly, producing biomass that can be periodically harvested.
From Pollution to Bioplastic
A key innovation of the Dublin prototype is its material loop: the harvested algal biomass can be processed into a bioplastic feedstock similar to the film used for the façade modules themselves. In this way, the panels not only clean air but also generate the raw material for future cladding elements, pointing toward façades that can “self-sustain” through cyclical growth and replacement.
Environmental Performance and Symbolism
Reports on the Dublin installation note that the 16-panel system was capable of capturing around 1 kg of CO₂ per day, a performance roughly comparable to the daily uptake of about 20 large trees. Beyond quantitative impact, the glowing green curtain made air pollution, carbon capture, and biomass production visible in the city center, reframing climate mitigation as a tangible urban experience.
Significance for Regenerative Façade Design
The Algae Bioplastic Façade Panels act as a full-scale demonstrator of “living” envelopes that filter air, sequester carbon, and generate material resources in real time. As part of the broader PhotoSynthetica research line, the Dublin project suggests a near-future in which retrofitted curtains, canopies, and cladding systems can be deployed on existing buildings to transform them into distributed, photosynthetic infrastructures for dense urban districts.
