The New York Times has published an article by Dung Ngo titled “These Are the Buildings You Need to See in Milan: The Italian city has a reputation for being gray, but its architecture is far from dull,” which includes Bosco Verticale, designed by Boeri Studio and located in the Porta Nuova district.
Published during Design Week, the article presents Milan through a historical and, above all, architectural lens, listing ten iconic buildings that define the city.
Alongside the Duomo, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Villa Necchi Campiglio, Villa Borsani, Castello Sforzesco, Torre Velasca, the Church of Santa Maria Annunciata, and Fondazione Prada, Bosco Verticale is highlighted as a symbol of a new biodiversity-focused architecture. This approach shifts the focus from human-centered design to the relationship between humans and other living species.
Completed in 2014, Bosco Verticale consists of two towers, 80 and 112 meters tall, hosting a total of 800 trees. This vertical forest condenses the equivalent of 30,000 square meters of woodland into just 3,000 square meters of urban surface. Unlike traditional “mineral” facades made of glass or stone, the vegetated façades of Bosco Verticale do not reflect or intensify sunlight, but instead filter it, creating a welcoming microclimate while minimizing environmental impact. The green layer also regulates humidity, produces oxygen, and absorbs CO₂ and fine dust particles.
Thanks to these innovative features, the project has received major international awards, including the International Highrise Award from the Deutsches Architekturmuseum in Frankfurt (2014), and the CTBUH Award for Best Tall Building Worldwide from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago (2015).
Read the full article here: NYT article
The news was also reported by Corriere della Sera.