Phone booth gets a green makeover

Artist transforms a London phone booth into a botanical box to call for the greening up of city spaces.

Local artist, Andrea Tyrimos has recently painted a phone booth at London’s 79 Southampton Row. The project, titled "Living Box," is situated nearby London’s largest living wall created by the urban greening group, Treebox. In a collaborative effort, the booth and the wall are meant to remind Londoners of the positive effects of plant life in city spaces.

Since its establishment in 2009, Treebox has installed many vertical plant or veggie patches around London. Tyrimos is now continuing the urban greening revolution by painting an upcycled phone booth in a flourish of tropical succulents and creeping vines, using oil-based paints. 

The "Living Box" is not only pretty to look at, the urban art installation highlights the importance of green systems amongst urban infrastructure. Together the booth and wall, stand as symbols of green activism, emphasising the impact plants can have on air quality and subsequently, the health of citizens. Inside the booth, Tyrimos painted a star-filled sky to further drive the issue of air pollution, which blocks out the stars in London.