Bosco Verticale, Building complex in Porta Nuova, Italy
Bosco Verticale consists of two residential towers in the Porta Nuova district of Milan that rise 116 and 84 meters and carry 730 trees, 5,000 shrubs, and 11,000 perennial plants distributed across their facades. The balconies project at varying depths and create individual spaces for each plant, while roots anchor in large containers built into the structure.
Construction began in autumn 2009 on a former industrial site and was completed in October 2014. The project transformed a neglected area into a residential zone that demonstrates new approaches to urban planning.
The greenery equals the plant surface of a one-hectare forest and is maintained by a team of specialized gardeners who move between floors using climbing equipment. The name translates directly as vertical forest, reflecting how the towers bring woodland into the city center.
The towers are private residential buildings and cannot be visited inside, but their facades are clearly visible from surrounding streets and public squares. The best view comes from Corso Como or Piazza Gae Aulenti, where you can see the full height of both buildings.
The plants were prepared in a nursery for two years to adapt to wind and height before being installed in the towers. Irrigation relies on an automated system that reuses gray water from the apartments and distributes it through pipes in the balcony floors.
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