When I visited Milan last Fall, I found the city so changed from the last time I was there in 2011. I found it much more environmentally focused, as well as a tad too commercialized. But overall I think the change is for the better. So many new, ultra-modern buildings have popped up in the skyline, including il “Bosco Verticale.”
The Vertical Forest buildings were designed by Architect Stefano Boeri. They are sustainable residential towers, created to bring urban reforestation, improved air quality and increased biodiversity to the city. They were built in the center of Milan, and host 800 trees and 19,500 plants – from shrubs to blooming florals.
Each building contains the same number of trees as 215,000 square feet of forest. All this vegetation creates a microclimate around the building, and contributes to air quality in the area by producing oxygen and humidity, absorbing CO2 and dust particles, and protecting people from UV rays and sound pollution. Amazing!
They have been a gift to animal life, as the Vertical Forest buildings create an environmental corridor that is expected to attract new bird and insect species to the city. Boeri plans to build similar structures in Switzerland, the Netherlands, and multiple cities in China.
If you want to stay in the “Bosco Verticale,” you can book a night through AirBnb.com. Be sure to visit the fabulous store and gallery Corso Como, 10 while you are there. It is just around the corner.
Buon divertimento!
Images by Flawless Milano and Stefano Boeri Architetti.