Despite being called the Square Bar, there is something particularily organic about this watering hole at the new Hotel Novotel Auckland Airport. The bar’s centre piece is a stunning two story Natural Habitats green wall.

The swathe of green that envelops the bar from floor to ceiling features an array of native New Zealand flora. The wall’s selection of cascading ferns and pan-pacific creepers were carefully chosen by Natural Habitats for their minimal maintenance requirements and ability to tolerate low levels of natural light. As well as creating a textured green backdrop for the bar, the wall will also aid the environment – increasing the air conditioned space’s humidity, and removing air pollutants.

The wall also has special significance to Tainui, who were responsible for the hotel’s development, nestled within the wall is Winika cunninghamii, an epiphytic orchid. This orchid previously named Dendrobium cunninghamii, has recently been given a new genus name, Winika, which is its Maori name. This orchid grew on a totara which was used to make the hull of a sacred waka belonging to Tainui people, and they named the canoe te winika after the orchid.

If you’re travelling, I’d suggest heading out to your flight early so you can stop in here for a drink, or be extra generous and offer to pick your mum up from the airport (and fit in a bit of design scoping on the way.)