Nanjing Green Towers will be Asia’s first vertical forest

A new mixed-use project from Stefano Boeri Architects, Nanjing Vertical Forest will comprise two towers rising from a 20-meter shared podium. What makes this project unique is, according to the architects, this will be the first vertical forest built not only in China, but in all of Asia.

The building’s facades will feature 600 tall trees and 500 medium trees from 23 different local species. Another 2,500 cascading plants and shrubs will be included, as well. In total, the trees and other plants will cover a 6 square mile area and absorb 25 tons of CO2 per year. The plants will also produce about 60 kilograms of oxygen per day. To help put that into perspective, the average person needs 0.84 kilograms of oxygen per day, according to NASA.

One of the towers will rise 200 meters and be topped with a “green lantern” while the other tower will rise 108 meters. The 200-meter tower will include a museum, a green architecture school, and a private rooftop club. The 108-meter tower will house a 247-room Hyatt hotel and a rooftop swimming pool. Both towers will rise from a 20-meter podium that will host retail space, a food market, restaurants, a conference hall, and exhibition spaces.

The project is Stefano Boeri Architects’ third vertical forest prototype, after Milan and Lausanne. The firm plans to bring vertical forests to other Chinese cities such as Guizhou, Shanghai, and Chongqing at a later date. The Nanjing Vertical Forest will be completed in 2018.

Rendering courtesy of Stefano Boeri Architects.

Rendering courtesy of Stefano Boeri Architects.