If you're interested at all in contemporary architecture or design or you're just fond of seeing the most unique and unusual things that a city has to offer while on holidays, then Milan has the perfect thing for you. The Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest, is a highly unique building in Milan which was only finished and opened last year. It is a pair of high-rise buildings which are made up of 27 storeys with cantilevered balconies planted with 900 trees and more than 2,000 shrubs and bushes. The effect is astonishing, two lush structures emerging from the earth and towering (the taller being 112 metres in height) over the surrounding buildings.
Find a vacation rental in Milan and see the bizarre and beautiful buildings for yourself.
The architect who designed these wonderful works is Stefano Boeri and they form part of his “BioMilano: Six Ideas For a Bio-diverse Metropolis”.
Located in the centre of Milan, on the edge of the Isola neighbourhood, they are designed as dwellings which work at being efficient, have minimal impact on the environment (and, in fact, aim to improve it) and which give their inhabitants the highest possible quality of life.
The architect who designed these wonderful works is Stefano Boeri and they form part of his “BioMilano: Six Ideas For a Bio-diverse Metropolis”.
Located in the centre of Milan, on the edge of the Isola neighbourhood, they are designed as dwellings which work at being efficient, have minimal impact on the environment (and, in fact, aim to improve it) and which give their inhabitants the highest possible quality of life.
The extensive greenery on the exterior of the buildings provides the inhabitants with shade in the summer and filtered sunlight in the winter, as well as cleaner air and reduced noise pollution. In order to be more efficient, the buildings are equipped with solar panels and a grey water recycling and irrigation system.
One hundred and thirteen apartments are housed in the two towers and offer stunning views across Milan and each individual dwelling also features its own private garden. As part of the area’s regeneration, main roads and parking facilities have been placed underground, making room for a 160,000m² pedestrianized cycling area that incorporates greenery, public squares and bridges.
It is described as an urban ideal and “a model for a sustainable residential building, a project for metropolitan reforestation that contributes to the regeneration of the environment and urban biodiversity without the implication of expanding the city upon the territory.”
While the buildings are private dwellings and can't be visited as tourist attractions can be, they can certainly be admired from the surrounding area or from up close, if you wish to get a closer look. They are a sight to behold and very unlike the skyscrapers that we are used to elsewhere and just one more thing to admire about the wonderful city of Milan.
One hundred and thirteen apartments are housed in the two towers and offer stunning views across Milan and each individual dwelling also features its own private garden. As part of the area’s regeneration, main roads and parking facilities have been placed underground, making room for a 160,000m² pedestrianized cycling area that incorporates greenery, public squares and bridges.
It is described as an urban ideal and “a model for a sustainable residential building, a project for metropolitan reforestation that contributes to the regeneration of the environment and urban biodiversity without the implication of expanding the city upon the territory.”
While the buildings are private dwellings and can't be visited as tourist attractions can be, they can certainly be admired from the surrounding area or from up close, if you wish to get a closer look. They are a sight to behold and very unlike the skyscrapers that we are used to elsewhere and just one more thing to admire about the wonderful city of Milan.
Photo credits
picture 1: Luca Nebuloni / CC BY 2.0
picture 1: Luca Nebuloni / CC BY 2.0