There are a few common questions on many observers’ lips when examining One Central Park as an edifice and assessing its contribution to the city. Many of these focus on the building’s bling: How long will the plants live? What happens if or when they die? What’s it like living under the mirrors? And do they work? Mark Giles and Matthew Dodds from PTW Architects – AJN’s local collaborator – offer some interesting insights. Maintenance of the external planting, which covers nearly 50 percent of the facade, is managed by the body corporate. “The plants will live as long as the residents want them to,” says Dodds. So, if the owners collectively decide it’s all too hard and costing too much, they can vote to remove the plants. Giles notes that the New South Wales Department of Planning and Infrastructure was not convinced by the developers’ and architects’ spin on the planting and insisted on seeing images of the project sans shrubs. During construction and prior to the addition of the plants, the relief provided by the irregular orthogonal planes of the balconies provided a compelling composition. Watered by the site’s blackwater recycling infrastructure, the plants have survived two Sydney summers and now make a unique contribution to the city. Though the building may not “need” the plants, I suggest they will remain in place for some time.