Over the last few years, one Italian firm has taken the concept of green building to the next level and redefined what it means for architecture to connect with nature.
Stefano Boeri Architetti covers his “forest city” projects — the latest to be constructed in China — with thousands of shrubs. The Nanjing Green Towerswill be the third prototype of the series, following in the footsteps of the forest tower now completed in Milanand a proposal designed for Lausanne, Switzerland.
The 200-meter-tall [670-feet-tall], dual-tower construction will be built in the Nanjing Pukou District, an area slated to become a leader in the modernization of southern Jiangsu and the development of the Yangtze River economic zone. Six hundred tall trees, 500 medium-sized trees and 2,500 cascading plants and shrubs veil the length of the façades and their balconies.
The taller tower, topped by a “green lantern,” will house offices, a museum, a green architecture school and a private club on the rooftop. The smaller tower, standing at 108 meters [354 feet] high, will be a Hyatt hotel featuring 247 rooms and a rooftop swimming pool. Its base will include multi-brand shops, a food market, restaurants, a conference hall and exhibition spaces.
This vertical forest will regenerate local biodiversity, absorbing 24 tons of carbon dioxide and producing 60 kilograms [132 pounds] of oxygen daily. The project is expected to be complete in 2018. Stefano Boeri Architetti hopes to develop other projects focusing on urban forestation and demineralization in other Chinese cities such as Shijiazhuang, Liuzhou, Guizhou, Shanghai and Chongqing.
Images via Stefano Boeri Architetti