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Plantagon then purchased the right to a concept for a vertical greenhouse from the Swedish innovator Åke Olsson, a dedicated organic farmer with a bent for technically simple but effective innovations. Olsson designed a rack transport system that slowly moves planting boxes from the floor to the ceiling of a vertical greenhouse, eliminating the need for artificial light.
The vertical greenhouses, or “plantscrapers,” are incorporated into the design of high-rise office buildings, but with the functionality of hydroponic farming on steroids. The first such building is currently under construction in Linköping, Sweden. At a cost of $40 million, the 16-story building is set to open in 2020.
The World Food Building
Called the World Food Building, it is expected to produce 550 tons of vegetables annually, enough to feed over 5,000 people. All the produce will be grown in a nutrient-rich, water-based solution. To help keep costs down, leading-edge automation will be used to maintain the plants and harvest produce.
Plantagon is currently in talks to develop plantscrapers in Singapore, the United States, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. We will have to wait and see if this new concept will succeed.