Bosco Verticale, Milan, Besucherguide & was in der Nähe unternehmen

Bosco Verticale, the "Vertical Forest", is a pair of residential towers in the Porta Nuova district of Milan, covered in trees, shrubs and climbing plants on every balcony. Designed by Boeri Studio, led by architect Stefano Boeri, and completed in 2014, it became one of the best-known examples of green architecture in the world.

The story behind it

The idea behind Bosco Verticale was to bring woodland into a dense city without spreading the city outward. Instead of laying out a park on the ground, the architects lifted the greenery onto the facades, so that each apartment has plants growing on its terraces. The planting is meant to add shade, support urban biodiversity and help improve the local environment, and the building is often cited as a model for sustainable housing.

The plants were chosen with care by agronomists, who matched species to the height and exposure of each part of the towers. Alongside evergreens there are deciduous species, so the look of the towers changes with the seasons: fresh green in spring, fuller in summer, and warmer tones in autumn. The two towers are of different heights, and the taller one is a little over 100 metres.

What to look for

• Notice how the balconies are staggered, so the trees seem to grow out of the building rather than sit on it.
• Look for the change in colour from one season to the next, which comes from the mix of evergreen and deciduous plants.
• Compare the two towers side by side and see how their different heights shape the skyline of Porta Nuova.
• Look up at the tallest trees on the upper floors and think about how they were planted and are looked after at that height.

Tips for your visit

• The towers are private homes, so you admire them from the street rather than going inside. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough for a good look and some photos.
• Soft morning or late afternoon light shows the foliage best, and spring and autumn give the most visible colour.
• The modern district around it is easy to explore on foot, and nearby Piazza Gae Aulenti and the Isola neighbourhood are both a short walk away.
• Be considerate of residents: keep noise down and do not fly drones without checking the current rules.

See it on a quest

Bosco Verticale is one of the stops on Street Art in Milan. You reach it on foot as part of a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. It is a good way to see the towers alongside the city's street art, with no guide and no group to join. One ticket covers the whole group.