A vertical forest skyscraper will grow in Utrecht

It is designed by the same architect that came up with Milan’s iconic Bosco Verticale

It’s been a decade since Architect Stefano Boeri unveiled his Bosco Verticale greenery-clad skyscrapers in Milan offering a new and fresh inspiration to urban design and planning. Since then, several cities have adopted the concept, the latest of which is Utrecht, in the Netherlands.

Also designed by the Italian architect’s studio, the new project is called Wonderwoods and will be also composed of two towers – 105 and 70 metres high – verdant with foliage, which will be an integral part of the buildings’ outlook.

Planting on the balconies of Wonderwoods has already begun with the rooting of a pear tree and a currant bush. Overall, the complex will contain 300 trees and 10,000 other plants to create a lush exterior.

Buildings that are a pleasure to look at and live in

The Wonderwoods towers will host 200 apartments plus 15,000 square metres of office space. Residents of the tower blocks, but also passersby will feel the sustainable benefits of this architecture, as less air conditioning will be needed and thus energy bills will be reduced. Such buildings also counteract the heat islands effect common in urban areas.

What’s unique about Wonderwoods is that it will be the world’s first vertical forest residence to offer social welfare housing with reduced rents and is designed to welcome young people and students.

A group of 'flying gardeners' will abseil down from the top of the building to tend the tower’s foliage forest, as it happens in Milan’s Bosco Verticale today. Irrigation will be done through a smart system o of sensors, thus it will not rely on the residents. The facades will change their colour composition and thickness depending on the season and sunlight availability.

Utrecht is the second Dutch city to boast such a “living architecture” building, after Eindhoven, which also has a skyscraper designed by Boeri Architetti.