Italian studio Benetti Home introduced indoor vertical gardens to Sky Valet lounges, featuring its material Benetti Moss — a 100% natural, stabilized lichen designed for dry, indoor applications. The rollout covered Fixed-Base Operator lounges across European airports, with installations already completed in Madrid, Barcelona and Ibiza.
Panels measure 60 x 80 cm in Madrid and Barcelona, while Ibiza received a custom wave-inspired composition combining moss grass and moss forest shades. The preserved moss requires minimal upkeep, resists dust and insects due to no electrostatic charge, and meets certified flame-retardant standards suitable for airport interiors.
Beyond aesthetics, the green walls add sound absorption and help create a cooler micro-climate, aiming to improve traveler comfort and perceived well-being. By embedding low-maintenance biophilic elements into transit spaces, the collaboration reflects a wider trend toward nature-driven design to reduce traveler stress.
Image Credit: Benetti Home
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Biophilic Transit Spaces
- Integration of natural elements in airports is redefining passenger experience by lowering stress and enhancing perceived well-being through visible greenery and micro-climate effects.
- Stabilized Plant Materials
- Preserved, maintenance-free botanical materials are enabling durable, indoor greenery solutions that meet safety standards and reduce lifecycle upkeep compared with live plants.
- Acoustic Green Infrastructure
- Vegetation-based panels are emerging as dual-purpose systems that combine aesthetic greenery with measurable sound absorption and thermal comfort improvements in enclosed public areas.
Where This Applies
- Airport and Fbo Interiors
- Lounge and terminal design is shifting toward certified, low-maintenance green installations that contribute to passenger comfort while complying with stringent safety and cleanliness requirements.
- Hospitality and Lounge Design
- Hotels and premium lounges are adopting preserved-moss walls as a way to offer biophilic ambiance and acoustic separation without the maintenance burden of live plants.
- Commercial Real Estate Fit-outs
- Office and retail fit-outs are leveraging stabilized botanical panels to deliver greener, quieter interiors that can be specified for fire-rated, low-dust environments.
