China to Fight Pollution with Vertical Forests

It is no secret that China has a big problem with air pollution due to the rapid increase in industrialization and the burning of fossil fuels as well as the big urban population. Due to the limited space in urban centers, an ingenious solution to the problem would be through the establishment of a vertical forest. It is essentially a tower designed specifically to house flora externally at an urban center to filter out carbon dioxide emissions in the air and minimize the smog in a natural way.

This vertical forest solution is not entirely new, in fact similar projects in Milan, Italy completed in 2014 as well as Lausanne, Switzerland, to be completed in 2017, have come before it. All three are the brainchild of architect Stefano Boeri who also plans to build more vertical forests in China. For now, his first project in Asia will be the Nanjing Towers, a 107 and 199 meter twins which will home to 1,100 trees and 2,500 shrubs and plants. All 23 species of plants used will be indigenous to the region.

The shorter Nanjing tower will also function as a Hyatt hotel while the taller structure will be leased to offices from the 8th through the 35th floor, and will have a green architectural school as well as a museum inside. A private club will also be at the top floor penthouse. The base of the structure which is going to be 20 meters high will be a mall with mutli-brand stores, a food market, restaurant and will even have space for a conference hall and exhibition rooms. Due to its size, the Nanjing towers are projected to generate about 60 kilograms of oxygen every day while feeding off the carbon monoxide in the air. Expected completion date is slated for 2018. Other Chinese cities including Chongqing, Shijiazhuang, Liuzhou, Guizhou and Shanghai will also be building similar structures designed by Boeri.