AMS and ŠKODA prepare a green revolution on bus shelter rooftops
In August 2020, AMS is introducing to its offer the eco shelter system – fully covered with green roofs and bird-friendly. The first client to co-create green solutions on bus shelter roofs is ŠKODA.
What are eco shelters?
Eco shelters are a novelty in AMS's offer, made available in August this year. Their creation aims to increase the number of green spaces, which are essential in the process of purifying air in cities. The roof of each eco shelter is 9 m2 of greenery (approximately 97 sq ft) in the city, which allows for storing up to 90 litres of water (approximately 24 US gallons) during rain, reduces air dust by about 15-20 percent in the shelter's surroundings, absorbs 7.3 kg (approximately 16 lb) of CO2 annually, and on hot days lowers the temperature under the shelter's roof by 3-5 °C (approximately 5-9 °F). The plants forming the sedum carpet that covers the roof are very resistant to environmental conditions and, additionally – thanks to their long flowering period – are friendly to bees, among others.
ŠKODA as the first client
The first brand to take advantage of AMS's invitation to equip the city with green bus shelter roofs is ŠKODA.
– As a leader not only in the automotive industry but also the initiator of many innovative creative solutions, we follow and respond to contemporary trends by implementing solutions that keep us close to our customers – says Arkadiusz Gwizdek, Marketing Director of the ŠKODA brand. – One such project is our involvement in creating eco shelters in urban spaces, which constitute a kind of oasis in our metropolises. ŠKODA cares about customer comfort not only by offering quiet and low-emission cars, such as the SUPERB iV with an innovative plug-in hybrid drive, but also through comprehensive involvement in improving the quality of life in cities – adds Arkadiusz Gwizdek.
Pilot locations
The AMS company has introduced eco shelters to its offer in Poznań, a pilot shelter in Kraków and – thanks to cooperation with the ŠKODA brand – a shelter in Warsaw's Żoliborz district. The latter – in addition to the green roof – has special markings protecting birds from collisions with the shelter's glass.
– Urban furniture constructed to harmonize with urban space, combining advertising solutions with the spirit of ecology, is no longer just the domain of Western countries. There are more and more such projects in Poland, and AMS's experience, which has been introducing them consistently for several years, shows that this is exactly what city residents and our clients expect. Environmentally friendly shelters are – after solar advertising pillars – another step in implementing our strategy of co-creating smart cities – says Grażyna Gołębiowska, Marketing Director of AMS.
ŠKODA eco shelters: first client of the AMS project
The first green roof on an AMS bus shelter was installed in Warsaw in 2019 as part of a project for the local community at the "Sierpnia 1944" Square, and AMS's ecological project "Green Stops" in Kraków was awarded SILVER in the Innovation 2019 competition.
AMS is the leader of out-of-home (OOH) advertising in Poland, winner of numerous awards. It operates in the area of classic and digital OOH. Since September 2002, it has belonged to the Agora Group. It offers clients effective campaigns using modern tools on nearly 23,000 advertising surfaces, as the only company with carrier systems from every market segment.
We wrote about a similar solution: Poznań with an innovative way to increase the number of green spaces
Summary
Since August 2020, AMS has been offering eco shelters with green roofs to improve air quality in cities. Each shelter's roof is 9 m2 of vegetation, stores up to 90 litres of water, absorbs 7.3 kg of CO2 annually and lowers the temperature by 3-5 °C on hot days. The project's first client is ŠKODA, which funded the shelter in Warsaw's Żoliborz district. Pilot implementations were also created in Poznań and Kraków.
Green roofs are part of a broader AMS strategy, which has been testing such solutions in Warsaw since 2019. The Kraków project "Green Stops" won a silver award in the Innovation 2019 competition. This is another step towards smart cities after the implementation of solar advertising pillars.
