A green landmark for a sustainable supermarket

Green performance throughout the year

The SemperGreenwall at Hoogvliet features a carefully selected mix of around 9,000 evergreen plants. This ensures the façade maintains a full, fresh appearance all year long, including during the winter months. Instead of a seasonal feature that fades over time, the building remains consistently green and representative. This reliability supports both the supermarket’s image and the comfort of its visitors.

Behind the green façade lies smart technology. The integrated Plant Care System automatically supplies water and nutrients, tailored to weather conditions and the seasons. Using the web-based system, the wall can be monitored and adjusted remotely, keeping the planting in optimal condition at all times. This combination of nature and technology makes the façade low-maintenance and dependable, essential for a busy retail environment.

Biodiversity between shop and street

The evergreen planting is more than decorative. It provides valuable shelter and nesting opportunities for birds and insects, particularly in an area where greenery is often limited. In this way, the façade actively contributes to local biodiversity in and around Woudenberg. For passers-by and customers, sustainability becomes visible at eye level as part of the everyday streetscape.

Greenery has a proven positive effect on how people feel. The living façade softens the scale of the building, gives the supermarket a friendlier appearance and creates a calmer, more welcoming first impression. Visitors experience the entrance as more relaxed and inviting than a traditional supermarket, even before they step inside.

Building a future-proof supermarket together

With the green façade in Woudenberg, Hoogvliet demonstrates how supermarkets can play an active role in urban greening and climate adaptation. The project shows that sustainable choices do not have to compromise functionality or recognisability. On the contrary, the SemperGreenwall has become a strong visual statement and an inspiring example for future retail developments in the Netherlands.

Hoogvliet works step by step towards a better world, making tangible choices in energy use, circularity and nature. More and more stores operate with solar panels, LED lighting and gas-free heating. Waste streams are given a second life, from used cooking oil to recycled plastic. Responsibility also extends beyond the store itself, with a BREEAM Outstanding distribution centre that provides space for bees, bats and a future without fossil fuels.