Bosco Verticale: World’s First Vertical Forest in Milan

A fascinating new pair of residential tower called Bosco Verticale is being constructed at Milan, Italy. Designed by architect Stefano Boeri, Bosco Verticale is being construed as “a project for metropolitan reforestation that contributes to the regeneration of the environment and urban biodiversity without the implication of expanding the city upon the territory”. Towering over the city’s skyline the world's first forest in the sky will be a sight to behold. The 27 storied building will accommodate nearly one hectare of forest trees as tall as oak and amelanchiers in its cleverly designed balconies. The 365 and 260 foot emerald twin towers will house an astonishing 900 trees, 5,000 shrubs and 11,000 ground cover plants.

This is a concept illustration of how Bosco Verticale will look like when completed.

In summer, the trees will provide shade and filter the city’s dust; in winter, sunlight will shrine through the bare branches. Bosco Verticale's greenery will absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, while protecting the building from wind and penetrating sunlight. Boeri claims that the inclusion of trees adds just 5 percent to construction costs, and is a necessary response to the sprawl of the modern city. If the units were individual houses, it would require 50,000 sq m of land, and 10,000 sq m of woodland.

Currently, Bosco Verticale looks like this.

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Historic Defense Tower Becomes Modern Home

With the intention of salvaging this building of historical value, industrial designer and owner Duncan Jackson paired up with a team from Piercy Conner Architects and managed to transform an old defense tower into a modern comfy home

The Martello Towers were built all over the coast of Great Britain in Kent, Sussex, Essex or Suffolk, in the 1800s, during the Napoleonic wars. They were meant to stop the French navy from reaching Britain’s shores, and were able to shoot cannon balls one mile out, but after Napoleon’s defeat, they became redundant.

Duncan Jackson and architect Stuart Piercy had their work cut out for them as this “make-over” of Tower Y was never going to be an easy job. Piercy admits: “When we first walked round, the cellar was five-foot deep in water, while the roof was covered in soil blown across the fields over the years. But the underlying structure was as strong as a battleship.”

“We made friends with the conservation and planning people. We needed them on our side. There are people who say the towers shouldn’t become homes because this takes away from their historic role. But if they aren’t going to be lived in, what’s to happen to them? Those that hadn’t been blasted away during target practice by the military have often been left to rot, and then demolished,” says Jackson.

Seen from the outside, the tower doesn’t inspire comfort, however imaginative you might be, but everything changes as soon as you walk through the door. The talent, skill and joined efforts of those who worked at this restoration have really payed off, as they managed to transform this tower into one of the most original modern homes of Great Britain.

It took 10 years to complete, but the end result really is breathtaking – a one of a kind home, combining a historic brick fort with the comfort of a palace-like home.

photo by Sam Lucas via Guardian.co.uk

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9 Famous Walls In The World

For a long time, especially during ancient time, walls have played an important role inmarking borders and preventing enemies from invading in kingdoms and settlements. However, walls are nowadays used as memorials and state-of-the-art sculptures in addition to original functions. Below are the list of the most famous walls around the world recognized as international tourism spots.

1. The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang and rebuilt between the 5th century BC and the 16th century. The Great Wall of China stretching for 8,851.8 kilometers (5,500.3 miles) is one of the most famous walls in the world. Contrary to popular belief this wall has not been seen from the moon (so far) however satellites in Earth's orbit can detect its shape.

2. Western Wall, Jerusalem, Israel

The Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall, is a well-known Jewish religious destination in the world. The Western Wall, situated in the Old City of Jerusalem, was built from the end of the Second Temple period around 19 BC by Herod the Great. Nowadays, it becomes thepilgrimage location for Jews.

3. Great Zimbabwe Walls, Zimbabwe

The Great Zimbabwe, constructed by indigenous Bantu people during the 11th century is 11 meters (36 ft) high extending nearly 250 meter (820 ft). In fact, the 300-year-old wall is a complex of stone ruins stretching over a large area of Zimbabwe and featuring as the greatest ancient structure in the south of the Sahara Desert. There are about 18,000 residents living nearby the Great Zimbabwe at present. 


4. Sacsayhuamán, Peru

Sacsayhuamán is an Inca walled complex high above the city of Cusco in Peru. The imperial city Cusco, was laid out in the form of a puma, the animal that symbolized the Inca dynasty. The belly of the puma was the main plaza, the river Tullumayo formed its spine, and the hill of Sacsayhuamán its head. There are three parallel walls built in different levels with lime stones of enormous sizes. It is suggested that the zigzagging walls represent the teeth of the puma’s head.
The boulders used for the first or lower levels are the biggest. The largest is 8.5 meter high (28 ft) and weights about 140 metric tons. The wall is built in such a way that a single piece of paper will not fit between many of the stones. This precision, combined with the variety of their interlocking shapes, and the way the walls lean inward, is thought to have helped the ruins survive the devastating earthquakes in Cuzco.


5. Berlin Wall, Germany

Construction of the Berlin Wall began in 1961. It was a desperate but effective move by East Germany to stop East Berliners escaping from the Soviet-controlled East German state into the West of the city, which was then occupied by the Americans, British and French. During the Wall’s existence, around 5,000 people attempted to escape circumventing the wall, with estimates of the resulting death toll varying between 98 and 200. As the Iron Curtain cracked in 1989 hundreds of citizens began physically tearing down the concrete division. Today remnants of the Berlin Wall can be found at Bernauer Strasse and in front of theNeiderkirchnerstrasse, the former Prussian Parliament and current Berlin Parliament.

6. Hadrian's Wall, UK

Made from stone and turf, Hadrian's Wall stretches for 117km (73mi) across the entire width of Northern England and was made a World Heritage Site in 1987. It was built by the Romans as a defensive measure to keep Barbarians out and today acts as a popular destination for walkers and tourists.

7. Walls of Babylon, Iraq

Walls of Babylon, constructed around 575 BC, is recognized as among the greatest Seven Wonders in the world. The two walls of Babylon, Imgur-Nemed-Enlil and Enlil were the Pyramids of Giza during the Neo-Babylonian Empire. They are situated around 17.5m (57 ft)from the city center with the thickness of 27 to 30 meters (89-98 ft) and the height of 25 meters to 30 meters (82-98 ft).

8. Walls of Ston, Croatia

The Walls of Ston, completed in the 15th century with 40 towers and 5 fortresses is nearly5.5 kilometer (3.5 mile) long connecting two small communities. In fact, the Walls of Ston is a series of defensive stone walls located on the peninsula Peljesac in southern Croatia. 

The wall was built to protect the precious salt pans playing an important role for Dubrovnik’s wealth.

9. Walls of Troy, Turkey

Walls of Troy, indeed is an ancient city ranked in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1998. Walls of Troy is located in the northwest Anatolia (Turkey), the southeast of the Dardanellesand beside Mount Ida. After recognized as the UNESCO World Heritage, Walls of Troy has become an attractive destination for visitors around the world. The spot is not only well-known for ancient beauty, but also as a commercialized site, with shops, a museum, and a large wooden horse used as a playground for kids.