China has become a hotspot for the ‘vertical forest’ building concept, says design firm that pioneered the idea
- Project in Nanjing will be the third prototype of the urban forest concept, and the first in Asia, says architectural firm Stefano Boeri Architetti
Award winning architecture firm Stefano Boeri Architetti, known for its innovative residential projects that blend greenery into the exterior of buildings, has a number of new projects under development in major Chinese cities, reflecting shifting attitudes on the mainland towards sustainable living.
The firm, headquartered in Milan, has recently been commissioned for projects in Wuhan and Shanghai that are inspired by the “vertical forest” concept of its Bosco Verticale residential building, completed in 2014, in Porta Nuova, a business district in Milan, Italy.
Yibo Xu, China partner and principal architect at Stefano Boeri Architetti, said more stakeholders in China are realising the value of integrating green elements into urban architecture and the benefits that these projects can bring to the city.
“This is something that everyone agrees on – clients, investors, governments, and citizens,” Xu told a
conference in Hong Kong last week, in reference to his firm’s recent project in Nanjing.
Xu said the firm has been commissioned for a project in Wuhan by a wealthy property developer who hails from the city and is now based in Beijing.