tula opens a 'plant oasis' dedicated to cacti and succulents in new york

in new york‘s greenpoint neighborhood, tula plants & design has created a space dedicated to the weird and wondrous species found in desert regions. situated on a quiet street in brooklyn, the recent addition, dubbed the ‘arid room’, has been formed as part of an existing plant store. realized within a 100-year-old warehouse building, the new intervention combines the original brick architecture with an array of enchanting greenery and red terracotta pots. 

an archway window is created to see the arid room from the tropical side of the tula shop. the archway was cut into the building and reinforced with found brick.

all images courtesy of tula plants & design

the new arid room covers a total floor area of 400 ft2 (37 m2) within the exsiting 1200 ft2 (111.5 m2) store. designed to feel more like a botanical garden than a plant shop, tula has curated the space so visitors could not only see the difference between tropical and desert plants, but feel the environmental difference as well. the arid room is therefore designed using brick, clay and wrap-around windows to create a hot and dry indoor climate, just as nature intended.

the center table in the arid room is made from found brick. this centerpiece holds rare species of desert plants, along with a 6 foot tall euphorbia mother plant.

with the plant industry raging and growing at a rapid pace, tula takes its time to curate and source extraordinary plant species that inspire customers to go beyond the common houseplant. and with a team of designers and horticulturists ready to help, visitors leave feeling inspired to design with plants, while equipped with the knowledge to keep them alive.

wrap around tables inspired by conservatory style displays were built specifically for the room. plants sit on a bed of clay rocks, while the bottom shelves hold handmade terracotta pottery.

street view of the arid room storefront. the walls were broken through to install floor to ceiling wrap around windows facing south and west. all signage at tula is hand-painted.

cuttings table in the arid room. customers are able to buy small cuttings, sometimes from rare plants, for $2. a potting station on the same table allows customers to pot the cuttings on site.

view from the west side of the arid room. during the construction of the room the walls were stripped down to the original clay bricks of the building that turns 100 in 2020.

large mother plants at the arid room. this section includes jade and euphorbia plants ranging 40-50 years in age.

close up view of the rare and unique plants living in the arid room.

morning light entering the arid room. tula plants and design was built from the ground up in an empty 100 year-old warehouse. the original walls and infrastructure were integrated into the design.

close up view of the rare and unique plants living in the arid room.

view to the west facing windows in the arid room. tables are built around the existing infrastructure in the room. in the corner sits the water sprinkler system for this 100 year-old warehouse.

the original and main entrance to tula plants and design in greenpoint brooklyn. the cuban courtyard design served as the inspiration for the main store.

project info:

project name: the arid room

location: greenpoint, new york city, the US

design: tula plants & design

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom