Milan’s Vertical Forest

Officially opened in October 2014, Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest, is a pair of award-winning residential towers in the Porta Nuova district of Milan, Italy.

The studio, led by Italian architect Stefano Boeri, came up with the concept as a way to combine high-density residential development with tree planting in city centers. This is the first project born from this concept.

The project creates a new standard for sustainable housing. Designed by Boeri Studio, the towers have heights of 360 feet and 249 feet, and host 900 trees, each measuring 10–30 feet, and more than 2,000 plants from shrubs and floral plants distributed in relation to the façade’s position toward the sun. A mixture of large and small trees are planted on the balconies on all four sides of the towers which will absorb the dust in the air, helping to depollute the city.

The diverse vegetation provides urban habitats for birds and insects, creating a humid micro-climate producing oxygen while shading residences from harsh sunlight. The living façade means the exterior is constantly evolving, changing colors with the seasons and offering Milan’s residents an ever-changing view of the cityscape. Trees are a key element in the properties, and the types were carefully chosen to fit with the position on the facades in terms of height. It took two years to conclude alongside a group of botanists. The plants used were grown specifically for this purpose and were pre-cultivated. Over the period, the plants slowly adjusted to the conditions they were placed in.

In November 2014, Bosco Verticale won the International Highrise Award, a prestigious international competition bestowed every two years, honoring excellence in recently constructed buildings standing a minimum of 328 feet tall.