Stefano Boeri’s ‘Vertical Forest’ consists of two high-rise apartment blocks whose many reinforced balconies overflow with around 700 trees and 20,000 shrubs and plants. The award-winning, sustainable design not only absorbs huge amounts of CO₂ and emits oxygen, but it also helps to mitigate pollution and moderate internal temperatures and noise. The project was so successful that Boeri is now designing a forest city in Liuzhou, China.
Getty Images
Bosco Verticale
Top choice
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.66 MILES
Milan's most famous mural, Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, is hidden away on a wall of the refectory adjoining the Basilica di Santa Maria delle…
1.48 MILES
A vision in pink Candoglia marble, Milan's extravagant Gothic cathedral, 600 years in the making, aptly reflects the city's creativity and ambition. Its…
0.56 MILES
Behind striking Renaissance-revival black-and-white walls, Milan’s wealthy have kept their dynastic ambitions alive long after death with grand sculptural…
0.95 MILES
Located upstairs from one of Italy’s most prestigious art schools, this gallery houses Milan’s collection of Old Masters, much of it ‘lifted’ from Venice…
1.16 MILES
A stroll around the Quadrilatero d'Oro, the world's most famous shopping district, is a must even for those not sartorially inclined. The quaintly cobbled…
-
16.01 MILES
One of the Italian Renaissance's most notable buildings is the splendid Certosa di Pavia. Giangaleazzo Visconti of Milan founded the monastery, 10km north…
1.21 MILES
Originally a Visconti fortress, this iconic red-brick castle was later home to the mighty Sforza dynasty, who ruled Renaissance Milan. The castle's…
1.53 MILES
Overlooking Piazza del Duomo, with fabulous views of the cathedral, is Mussolini's Arengario, from where he would harangue huge crowds in his heyday. Now…
Nearby attractions
0.12 MILES
In the shadow of the Bosco Verticale, you’ll spot a neon sign stating boldly ‘Do Not Kill’. It seems odd in this quiet corner, but it serves the ‘House of…
0.14 MILES
Italy’s tallest skyscraper (231m) is home to its largest bank, Unicredit, which occasionally allows the public to visit its dramatic top-deck viewing…
0.15 MILES
Against a backdrop of shimmering skyscrapers and the Bosco Verticale, this modern urban park bustles with activity. Sprawling lawns, a rich variety of…
0.16 MILES
Join locals sightseeing at this landmark square named after Italy's most famous female architect. The linchpin of Milan’s Porta Nuova regeneration project…
0.26 MILES
Lombardy’s regional headquarters, this glinting, 161m, glass-and-steel skyscraper was the city’s first audacious step towards the contemporary skyline…
0.41 MILES
Herzog & de Meuron’s first public buildings in Italy, these two elongated, slanted structures look reminiscent of greenhouses. The Feltrinelli Foundation,…
7. Santuario di Santa Maria alla Fontana
0.52 MILES
Originally situated in a bosky wood, this sanctuary once enclosed a pool of healing thaumaturgical water, frequented since ancient times by the old, tired…
0.54 MILES
Construction began in 1956 on Milan’s tallest grattacielo (skyscraper). The 32-storey Pirelli Tower sits on the site of the company’s 19th-century factory…