Boeri Studio's pair of luxurious, plant-covered towers are now complete, officially inaugurated five years after construction started in Milan’s Porta Nuova district.

The Bosco Verticale, or ‘Vertical Forest’ in English, comprises two landscaped high-rises that between them add nearly 2.5 acres of lush vegetation to the city.

Standing at 80 metres and 112 metres tall, the towers house 113 apartments and feature over 800 trees, 4,000 shrubs and 15,000 ground cover plants including vines and perennials.

Each individual apartment hosts a private garden, which helps protect the interior living space from CO2 and dust particles, noise pollution, harsh winds and direct sunlight, while also producing oxygen and favourable microclimates.

Designed with LEED Gold certification in mind, Bosco Verticale is also equipped with photovoltaic solar panels and a grey water recycling and irrigation system.

The superstructure was one of five recently completed buildings to make the shortlist for the International Highrise Building Award 2014.

Boeri is currently in China, where he plans to replicate the Bosco Verticale project.   

Courtesy Inhabitat