"Vertical forest" in Milan

• "vertical forest" in Milan

In Milan, very dirty air. If you will make a ranking of European cities on the degree of air pollution, the first place it would take Milan. But where many see the tragedy, Milan authorities saw opportunities for development. They began to systematically deal with this situation: to break gardens and parks, rebuild entire neighborhoods and to develop public transport, car-free holidays for environmental reasons. At the same piggy bank you can add the construction of a new residential complex "Vertical Forest" in the city center. It is notable for the fact that on its balconies freely grow almost 6000 trees and shrubs.

The residential complex "Vertical Forest" consists of two buildings with 110 and 76 meters. They were built in 2009-2014 on the project of architectural bureau Boeri.

"This is a kind of biological architecture" - said the representative office. They hope that the "vertical forest" and similar projects will lead to the creation of the Milan network of ecological corridors, will breathe new life into the city's parks and green spaces to provoke the spread of even not suited for this zone.

The peculiarity of the project is that the terraces are located green spaces: there are about 900 trees, 5000 shrubs and 11 thousand grassy tracks. The idea to plant trees right on the balconies of apartments resulted in the need for designers to save space in the city center.

The trees create a unique microclimate in the buildings and protect the premises from dust, control the level of humidity, and produce oxygen. In the summer they are covered with homes from the sun, and in winter, on the contrary, is passed to the apartments sufficient light.

So skyscrapers balcony look in the summer.

In its ecological value skyscrapers equivalent hectares of forest. The total area of ​​greenery in a "vertical forest" is 40 thousand square meters. Skyscrapers provide environmentally friendly housing for not only humans but also birds and insects (mostly butterflies).

In this project is used more than a thousand species of plants. Trees and bushes growing in pots, which are fixed ropes on the terraces. Much attention is paid to safety when choosing plants. To the trees are not pulled out by strong gusts of wind, all the plants have been tested in the wind tunnel. Besides wind power such indices were calculated as plant compatibility, the angle of their growth, illumination. It was also thought out a special irrigation system - for this purpose will fit the water used residents of the apartments, but a pre-filtered.

The plants were planted on the skyscrapers were selected and grown specifically for this purpose. Study their suitability was conducted for three years. Urban services monitor the condition of the trees, and transplant them in case of need.

Authors of the project argue that the cost of all the trees and shrubs, as well as systems required for their comfortable life, have increased the overall cost of the construction of buildings is only 5%.

The skyscrapers are located apartments of different sizes, as well as a large number of offices and commercial premises. Apartment of 80 square meters on the lower level at the start of sales worth 560 thousand. Euros, while for the two hundred meter penthouse with private garden and views of the city has been designated the price of 1, 7 million euros. Of all property buyers in these houses almost two-thirds of the foreigners.

So the yard looks

Entry into one of the skyscrapers

Hall

These buildings are recognized as the best skyscraper in 2014. The project won the International Highrise Award of the Museum of Architecture in Frankfurt. Jury chairman Christoph Ingenhoven said, "" vertical forest "is an expression of the human need for contact with nature. This is a radical and bold idea for the cities of tomorrow, and, without a doubt, it is a model for the development of heavily populated urban areas, to be applied in other European countries. "