DESIGN
The story of Milan's Bosco Verticale: a unique jewel in the world
Since 2015 one of the symbols of Milan, the Bosco Verticale is the final result of the redevelopment that the Milan City Council has carried out in the area of Porta Nuova, in Milan's new Directional Center. Conceived and designed by Boeri Studio, the Bosco Verticale has already received many international awards for the innovation and beauty of the project.
Following the great metropolitan reforestation project, the Bosco Verticale features more than 2,000 tree species, and in the years since its inauguration, it has already given shelter to so many species of birds and butterflies.
In 2019, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat included it on its list of the "50 Most Iconic Skyscrapers in the World of the Last 50 Years."
The Bosco Verticale in Milan
The Bosco Verticale, located at Porta Nuova in Milan, is one of the new symbols of the Lombard capital. The two towers were designed by the studio Boeri, and is part of a Milanese drive to redevelop the area (now the Milan Business Center) and increase plant and animal biodiversity.
The initial idea behind the project
Reading "A Vertical Forest. Instruction Booklet for the Prototype of a Forest City," one understands how the idea came about. In 2007, Boeri was in Dubai and realized how each skyscraper was covered in glass or ceramics, giving the impression of being in a "mining city." This was the idea to which Boeri rebelled, starting to think about building "two towers covered not with glass, but with leaves [...] with plants, with shrubs, [...] with trees, [...] with life."
Porta Nuova before the towers
In "Communication in the Real Estate Supply Chain. Conceptual Foundations, Management Principles and Operational Tools," the area before the Bosco Verticale is discussed. The area, before, was occupied by the tracks of the old railway station, rendered useless by the birth of the Central Station in the Fascist era. The tracks were then set back (to form today's Garibaldi Station) and the area left to decay due to the lack of common will to build something collective.
The construction of the Bosco Verticale
Construction of the facility began in the fall of 2009. In 2013 the then-contracting company backed out due to economic crises, and was promptly replaced by another company, Colombo Construction, which resumed work in the same year, bringing it to completion in 2014.
The basic characteristics of the Bosco Verticale
The Bosco Verticale, reads the official website of the firm that designed the structures, "consists of two towers, 80 and 112 m high, housing a total of 800 trees (480 first- and second-size trees, 300 of smaller size, 15,000 perennials and/or ground cover plants, and 5,000 shrubs. A vegetation equivalent to that of 30,000 square meters of forest and undergrowth, concentrated on 3,000 square meters of urban area."
Various international awards
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat included it in its list of "The World's 50 Most Iconic Skyscrapers of the Last 50 Years." Other accolades included International Highrise Award at the Deutschen Architekturmuseums in Frankfurt (2014) and CTBUH Award as the world's best tall building.
Tree pruning
Amazing how plant maintenance is done. Irrigation is drip irrigation, using and recycling wastewater produced by the high-rise buildings. A group of pruners use mountaineering techniques once a year to rappel down from the roof and check the condition of the plants, their possible replacement and pruning.
Art galleries private collections
Art galleries private collections
Art galleries private collections
Art galleries private collections
Art galleries private collections
Art galleries private collections
Tablet computers and tech gadgets
14/06/2024
The four main consumer rights are: the right to product safety, to full information, to a free choice and to be heard. Often, however, especially in online transactions, not everything is as clear as it should be, and one often runs the risk of running into scams.
Suspicious e-mails, random links, false information, fake websites: these and many other things undermine our computer security, as do outdated passwords and careless consumers. The phenomenon of online scams is much more widespread than people think, with hundreds of thousands of victims worldwide every year.
However, there are some very simple guidelines to help you defend yourself. Nothing complicated, just a few behaviours to follow if you want to surf more safely. Here are some tips on how to arm yourself against online scams.
Art galleries private collections
12/06/2024
The Neolithic site of Stonehenge, is located a few miles from Salisbury, England. Formed of huge stones, it is believed to have been an astronomical observatory in ancient times, with special significance at the solstice and equinox.
Specifically, these are huge megaliths positioned in a circular shape, topped by equally huge connecting lintels. The current position of the stones is the result of massive restoration that took place in the early part of the 20th century.
To this day, historians and scientists remain debated about its real significance. Included in UNESCO protected sites, today it is a popular tourist destination. The myths behind this place, even in 2023, are wasted.